Families Green paper welcomed

Released on 21/01/2010

NCT press statement

NCT welcomes Government’s focus on families

The Department for Schools and Families today released a Green Paper entitled ‘Support for All – the Families and Relationships Green Paper’, which is a package of measures designed to help the 21st century family.

The main proposals announced today include:

• Improving flexible working for parents and family friendly employment rights
• A review of the family justice system to look at alternative ways for family conflicts to be dealt with out of the courts
• Immediate steps to offer separating parents more mediation support to prevent and reduce disputes
• Giving grandparents more recognition, improved legal rights for access and a dedicated website
• Helping dads get more involved in their child’s birth and up-bringing, including a new Dads Guide to give to all new fathers.

Elizabeth Duff, Public Policy Officer, NCT, says;

“The NCT welcomes the Government’s focus on families and increased support for new parents both with flexible working and with helping dads to be more involved in the birth and early years of their child.

“Parents across the country struggle with the day to day reality of balancing work and family life. There has been increasing recognition of the dual responsibilities of workers who are also parents. However, employees - both men and women - are still afraid to ask for flexible working in case it affects their chances of promotion or of losing their jobs.

“Becoming a father for the first time is a major life event for men. The birth of a baby changes relationships in the family, brings new responsibilities and rewards, and often has a major economic impact. It can be a time of joy, celebration and pride but equally it can be a time of stress, anxiety and upheaval.  Of parents supported by NCT, more than one in four are dads (28%).

“Men have their own needs as new fathers, they also need to know about what their partner is experiencing and how they can support her. Both these aspects are helped by the NCT through provision of information, antenatal classes and networks that enable parents-to-be to meet with others on a local basis. Often fathers gain further knowledge and confidence by talking to other dads.

“Research shows clearly that fathers have a central role to play in family life and child development. Services should engage new dads as soon as the pregnancy is confirmed and encourage them to learn about the stages of development as the baby is growing, and how they can be of support during the labour and birth. Then they can be involved in care of the new baby, including comforting and soothing, skin to skin contact, bathing and nappy changing.

"Fathers need information that is relevant to how their baby is being fed, including the key role they can play in supporting breastfeeding. Research shows that fathers’ views can influence whether a mother starts to breastfeed and mums will continue to breastfed for longer if they have the support of their partner

"NCT is aware that not all mothers live with the father of their baby, and involvement may be challenging. However, even occasional contact between father and child can be beneficial and help to maintain a relationship. The time around the birth of a baby can be motivating for both parents to make lifestyle changes that will improve their health, and any such opportunity can be encouraged by service providers.

"Based on the NCT’s 50 year experience of working with parents (both fathers and mothers or other partners) it is essential that all parents are fully prepared for the experience of becoming parents and that experience enriches their lives and enables them to be confident in their new roles.

“The NCT believes it’s important that women in labour are given support throughout so they can feel calm, relaxed and reassured. Many women feel that having their partner or father of the child present will enable them to feel secure and confident during the birth. For many fathers being present at the birth allows them the opportunity to bond with their new baby and to feel a part of the new baby’s life from the start. NCT supports fathers being allowed to remain overnight with mother and baby after the birth; we know that this is something both mothers and fathers want and is one reason some couples decide to have their baby at home.

"The NCT has been instrumental in helping dads play a key role in early family life, starting with the birth of their child. Since the 1950s, over a generation of babies have been born with their fathers present thanks to campaigning from the NCT charity to allow dads to attend the birth. This is now common practice today with over 97% of fathers attending their child’s birth.”

ENDS

NCT policy on fathers

1. Professionals and voluntary bodies working with families should actively engage with expectant fathers, recognising their role, contribution and needs during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period.

2. Professionals and voluntary bodies should acknowledge that parents sometimes live in separate households and some families involve same-sex parents and/or stepparents.   Positive involvement of fathers living separate to the mother should be encouraged wherever appropriate.

3. All men expecting a new baby, as well as all pregnant women, should be able to attend an antenatal class that will address their needs as a father, as well as their needs as a couple.  The classes should be accessible and welcoming, offering the chance to meet other expectant fathers and couples, to share experiences and ideas, get information about what influences different kinds of birth and feeding, and what the consequences may be.

4. Innovative schemes to embed learning and acquisition of information into antenatal care should be developed. Group-based sessions involving discussion and sharing of information, which seem likely to be valued by parents and cost effective, should be tested with government support for both development and rigorous qualitative and quantitative evaluation.

5. Maternity services should address the health behaviour of both parents as part of their routine engagement with the expectant mother.  Fathers should be given information and support about smoking, alcohol/drug use and mental health. 

6. Transition to parenthood courses, drop-in sessions, buddying schemes and helplines which offer support to expectant fathers should involve more experienced fathers as positive role models. Both mothers and fathers should feel able to share their feelings, experiences and ideas about becoming a parent and their changing relationship in a safe environment. Single-gender or single-role support / sessions should be made available.

7. All hospitals and birth centres should provide an environment for birth where the mother and father feel valued, and the facilities are comfortable and clean, providing privacy and security.  Provision should be made for fathers to stay overnight where possible.  Visiting hours should be flexible to allow fathers to stay with their partner and baby for a period after the birth, and to enable them to be present when information is given about postnatal health and baby care. 

8. Birth centres, which specialise in normal birth, are an ideal setting for developing family-friendly policies and additional services to fully involve fathers and other family members, such as over-night accommodation, double beds, kitchen facilities where brought-in food and drinks can be prepared, and play areas for older, supervised children.

9. Midwives and health visitors providing postnatal care should ensure that fathers are involved and given opportunities to discuss any questions or concerns they may have, making them welcome and ensuring that both parents and have their contact details so that they also have the flexibility to make contact separately.

10. Any fears expressed by mothers, grandparents or others regarding a father’s involvement must be taken seriously. When there are concerns about a child’s safety, decision-making about parental access and involvement should take into consideration individual circumstances so that whenever it is appropriate, fathers are supported to be involved in their child’s life. In this context we back projects that provide support for ‘vulnerable’ father to help them maintain a caring relationship and make a contribution to their child’s development.

 

ENDS

For further press information contact NCT Press Office on 020 8752 2404 or email press@nct.org.uk  For out of hours, please call 07722 839 428.
 
The NCT has ISDN line on 020 8992 6499 – please call Press Office first to book.

The NCT - the National Childbirth Trust - is the UK’s leading charity on pregnancy, birth and early parenthood – we’re with parents all the way from bump to baby. Each year the charity supports thousands of parents through a life-changing experience, offering expert information and trusted practical and emotional support through a network of 300 local branches, helplines, classes and breastfeeding counselling and we campaign for improvements to maternity care. For more information call NCT on 0300 330 0770 or visit www.nct.org.uk