4 July 2011 -Two experts from either side of the “pond” will soon be meeting social service professionals in Singapore to discuss successful strategies for working with fathers in intervention programmes.

Ms Adrienne Burgess, Head of Research at The Fatherhood Institute (United Kingdom), and Mr Wilfried C. Hoecke, Director of Family Information and Education at Family Connection (United States), will be speaking at a practitioners’ conference, Working with Fathers -Engagement and Intervention that Works, co-organised by Dads for Life (DFL) and Social Service Training Institute, to be held on 7 July at Orchard Hotel.

Ms Burgess’s main training work for The Father Institute is with practitioners in early years settings and teenage pregnancy, helping them develop systems, approaches and skills which will facilitate their engagement with fathers, both in terms of ‘getting them through the door’ and working effectively with them when they get there.

Mr Hoecke has led the Fathers Network (a network of fathers of children of varying disabilities) and coordinates the Family Connection’s respite project. He is also a national trainer in fatherhood, respite, marriage, faith-based initiatives and prevention of maltreatment of children with special needs.

In an e-mail interview with Ms Burgess and Mr Hoecke, The DFL Resource Team finds out what differentiates a father-inclusive practice from one that is merely family-friendly.

And, as the date of the conference draws near, Ms Burgess and Mr Hoecke share about what they are looking forward to when they meet with practitioners here.

1. The DFL Resource Team: What differentiates father-friendly practices from family-friendly practices? In other words, how would one recognise or implement a father-friendly practice?

Ms Burgess: “Family-friendly practices” should address fathers. Sadly, however, professionals (and policy makers) interpret “family” as meaning “mother” or “mother and maternal relatives”. In the UK in 2009, the government set up a THINK FAMILY initiative. Within a year it was clear that professionals were interpreting that to mean ‘think mother’, and so the government had to introduce a new initiative: THINK FATHERS! It is the same with the word “parent”. Technically, of course, this should mean ‘mother and father’ but very often the term is used synonymously with “mother” – as in “when a parent returns to work after having a baby” or “parents’ breastfeeding room.” Mr Hoecke: The push today in both service delivery in medical homes and general services, has been to create culturally competent programmes and services. When dealing with families, professionals who are "family-centered" would address both fathers and mothers. (However) The sad truth is that the services we deliver are often more "mother-centered" than family-centered, and certainly not “father-centered”. The father is left out by default. Just as we provide different service delivery for families of diverse cultural backgrounds, we also must identify the unique culture within gender differences. Just as we research and develop culturally appropriate services for a family from a different culture, we must study and devise outreach and programming that reach the unique culture of fathers. The male “culture” does not like to admit weakness. Yet, we invite fathers to a “support group” –a title which implies weakness in need of support. Cultural competence would push us to call the same group something like a “fathers' network” whose title implies all participants have strengths and something to contribute. Of course, this needs to be a practice of more than simple semantics, but a true belief that this culture -“fathers”- must be honored and respected. The key characteristic of true family friendly practices is not only to study and apply the appropriate cultural practices for (example) the Spanish versus the Chinese family, but to go even further in identifying and meeting the need of the gender differences between mothers and fathers within these different ethnicities.

Ms Adrienne Burgess Mr Wilfried Hoecke

2. The DFL Resource Team: What are you looking forward to find out about as you meet with practitioners in Singapore?

Ms Burgess: I am looking forward to find out about how work with fathers and particularly with couples in Singapore is developing (fathers are usually best addressed as part of the parenting team, rather than in isolation).

I also want to find out what is happening in terms of policy; namely whether policy is specific about engaging with fathers as well as mothers – or is the “gender neutral” term “parent” always or mainly used (which of course renders fathers invisible) .

I am also interested in finding out how new parents are balancing work and family responsibilities; and how separated parents manage this.

Mr Hoecke: The Singapore government has made a large investment in family-friendly services and programmes that help them serve families. I believe I have much to learn from the practitioners who provide direct services to the families of your great country.

About the Author: The Dads for Life Resource Team comprises local content writers and experts, including psychologists, counsellors, educators and social service professionals, dedicated to developing useful resources for dads.