That’s the view expressed by Alison Hadley OBE, Director of Teenage Pregnancy Knowledge Exchange at the University of Bedfordshire, during her keynote speech at the ‘Seeing Young Fathers in a Different Way’ one-day conference, held to launch the findings of the University of Leeds three year research project.

Alison led the implementation of the previous Government's Teenage Pregnancy Strategy for England, which reduced the under-18 conception rate by 48% to the lowest level for 40 years, and helped improve maternity and postnatal support for young parents. 

The Following Young Fathers research project, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council followed 31 young fathers to explore their experiences of parenthood and the support they received. Alison was a member of the research strategy advisory group and was invited to open the conference to contribute her extensive experience of teenage pregnancy and young parenthood.

During her keynote speech Alison welcomed the innovative approach of the research that showed young fathers’ strong desire to be involved, countering the popular view that they are disinterested or feckless. “The vast majority want to be involved. 75% of babies to teenage mothers are jointly registered with the father.”

She told the packed audience about how young fathers’ influence and support can help young mothers quit smoking during pregnancy and decide to breastfeed their babies, both of which contribute to reducing the risk of infant mortality, SUDI (sudden and unexpected death during infancy) and childhood asthma; and how a good relationship with the father can be protective against teenage mothers’ higher risk of postnatal depression.

She said: “Fatherhood can also be catalyst for young men to fulfil their own potential, promoting personal growth and re-engagement in education and reducing the risk of adult and child poverty.”

University of Bedfordshire has recently offered a full-time PhD studentship to investigate the extent and quality of fathers' involvement in pregnancy and children’s early years in Luton, and its linkages to nutrition, communication and social development among young children. The studentship, commencing October 2015 is jointly funded by the Luton Flying Start Early intervention Programme and the Institute for Health Research at the University.

Dr Shuby Puthussery, Director of Studies on the PhD studentship remarked: “Fathers are shown to be in a unique position to facilitate a good start in life for children and positive paternal involvement is associated with a range of benefits to the overall wellbeing of children and families.

“Very little is known, however, about how healthy fathering is developed through early stages of parenting in multi-ethnic communities and how it links to key areas of children’s development in disadvantaged families. Focusing on families in disadvantaged areas, the research will create key evidence on how fathers can be supported to provide a good start for children in Luton”.