Executive summary

Father and child relationships have profound and wide-ranging impacts on children that last a lifetime. Many men will become fathers at some point in their lives, and almost all have some connection to children. Major changes in both the workplace and households are bringing changes to men’s participation as caregivers. Yet, men’s involvement has too often been missing from policies, programs and efforts to promote the best interests of children in Australia.

In this report, we review the latest international and Australian research on fathers and present new evidence on what Australian fathers believe to be their role in parenting. The results reveal that many Australian fathers are actively involved in raising their children, yet there are still too many describing themselves as a helper, leaving the day- to-day care of their children to others. We examine the many reasons why and offer practical recommendations to increase fathers’ involvement in the care of their children.