What Do Dads Want in a Parenting Program? Improving Father Engagement in Parenting Education and Support

Father engagement in parenting programs is vital for positive child development and family wellbeing, yet fathers remain underrepresented in parenting programs. This study examines factors influencing fathers’ participation using two discrete choice experiments. Experiment 1 identified key attributes affecting engagement, including program content, cost, and delivery modality. Experiment 2 refined these insights, showing a preference for cost-free, face-to-face programs with practical activities. Findings highlight the importance of addressing financial barriers; offering flexible, relevant content; and designing father-friendly programs to improve accessibility and inclusivity. By prioritising fathers’ needs and preferences, parenting programs can better support child and family outcomes, fostering greater engagement and promoting equality across diverse family systems.

• Publication year

  2025

• Venue

  European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education

• Publication date

  2025-10-01

• Fields of study

  Medicine, Education

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.3390/ejihpe15100202PMID 41149153PMCID 12564772
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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