Your BasketThe Fatherhood Institute is inviting Children’s Centres and other family services to take part in the UK version of a groundbreaking American ante-natal peer support programme for dads-to-be.
Hit the Ground Crawling – which is already up-and-running as a pilot in Staffordshire and features in a Radio 4 documentary to be broadcast at 11am on Monday 15 September (for more details and to listen to the programme if you miss it, click here) - involves groups of expectant fathers learning childcare skills from new dads and their babies.
How the programme works
Specially trained Children’s Centre staff, health visitors, midwives etc facilitate the sessions, which are very informal and are designed to provide space for the dads-to-be to discuss their thoughts and concerns with other dads in a relaxed setting; to watch their peers caring for their babies; and to have a go at changing nappies, cuddling, massaging, etc.
The result is more confident, less-isolated dads….and a great opportunity to ensure local fathers become familiar and comfortable with the full range of local services.
Some comments from the Staffordshire pilot
From a dad-to-be in Stafford: “Well at first I was very nervous and I hold my hands up…I was panicking about fatherhood. But this session has given me EVERY confidence and done me the world of good. I am full of confidence now”
From Nicola Ellis, community development worker at East Staffordshire Children’s Centre in Burton-on-Trent - a trained Hit the Ground Crawling facilitator with more than three years’ experience of working with fathers in her locality. She ran the session taped for Radio 4 and is planning four more Hit the Ground Crawling sessions this year:
"We have really positive relationships with our dads, and seeing them building up relationships with their children is easily the best part of my job. The Hit the Ground Crawling approach is brilliant - it was great to see the dads so keen to come along and I was surprised how open they were. Some of these dads know a lot of stuff, and many of them are staying at home while the mum goes back to work – a lot of the time it’s just giving them the confidence to know that they’re doing ok."
Interested in running the programme in your area?
A full package of training and ongoing support is now ready to roll out to Children’s Centres and other ante-natal providers for just £5,000 plus VAT. For more details about this package, the development of Hit the Ground Crawling from the US ‘Boot Camp for New Dads’ model, and the ongoing evaluation of the Staffordshire pilot, contact David Bartlett, Services Manager, Fatherhood Institute on tel 01422 847825 or mobile 0795 804 2476 or email d.bartlett@fatherhoodinstitute.org.
Comments
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Posted: Friday, 12 September 2008 - 11:06 PM
Name: Robert
Fantastic idea! I have experience in the child care "basics" (holding, bathing, changing nappies) due to having two nieces, but can imagine how I would be feeling right now (with my wife 12 days overdue) if I didn't have that!
I also believe that fathers-to-be will be much more likely to express fears or ask questions in a more male-orientated environment, as opposed to mainstream antenatal classes.