Early childhood development is most often discussed in terms of children and mothers. Fathers and male caregivers play a significant role in many children’s lives, but less visible in programmes, policies, and funding priorities. This gap has wider consequences than it may seem at surface level. It affects how we design support systems, how resources are allocated, and in the end how children experience care in their earliest years.
There is a growing need to rethink this imbalance.
Reframing Fatherhood as Part of the Care System
Too often, fathers are seen primarily as providers, with their caregiving role receiving far less attention. Yet they are caregivers in their own right, contributing to children’s development, well-being, and sense of security. Fatherhood is therefore not separate from the care system; it is an integral part of the network of relationships and support that shapes outcomes for children and society, as documented extensively in the State of South Africa’s Fathers 2024 Report.
A different way of thinking about fatherhood reveals a potential investment opportunity with real social returns.
In South Africa, our traditional definition of fatherhood often overlooks reality. Data published in the State of South Africa’s Fathers 2024 Report indicates that while only 35.6% of children live in the same household as their biological fathers, more than 40% live with “social fathers”, such as uncles, grandfathers, and older brothers who actively step into the caregiving environment.
When fathers and male caregivers are engaged, caregiving becomes more balanced and responsive. This does not mean shifting responsibility away from mothers. It means recognising that children benefit when caregiving is shared, consistent, and supported across multiple adults in their environment.
Reframing fatherhood as part of the care system in South Africa will help us move the conversation from identity to function. It will allow us to focus on the role fathers play in strengthening early childhood outcomes.
Why is Fatherhood Crucial for Early Childhood Outcomes?
Research and practice increasingly show that engaged fathers and male caregivers contribute directly to early childhood development, including supporting cognitive growth, emotional security, and social development. In South Africa, where a critical Public Expenditure and Institutional Review for Early Childhood Development highlights severe early learning gaps, the home environment remains a vital intervention site. Findings from the State of South Africa’s Fathers 2024 Report show that while 75% of co-residing men regularly play with children, only 28% read to them. Transitioning these men from passive play to active early literacy is a major, untapped developmental opportunity.
The presence of involved male caregivers also improves maternal well-being. In our current economic landscape, 85% of South African women provide financial support to their biological children while simultaneously bearing the brunt of daily care. When caregiving responsibilities are shared, maternal stress levels decrease, and household dynamics become more stable. This creates a supportive environment for young children during a critical period of growth.
Importantly, father engagement is more than the presence in the home. It is also about the quality of interactions children experience, including consistent, responsive care and emotionally supportive relationships. These factors influence how children experience safety, attachment, and learning in their early years. Understanding these links helps shift fatherhood from a secondary concern to a primary and meaningful factor in early childhood development.
The Cost of Leaving Fathers Out of The System
When fathers are excluded in the caregiving systems, opportunities for strengthening household support structures are missed.
The cost of this exclusion is not always visible, but it accumulates over time. Mothers carry disproportionate caregiving responsibilities, leading to chronic stress and reduced capacity. Programmes often don’t reach their full potential because they are engaging only part of the caregiving environment, essentially trying to solve a systemic challenge with half the available team.
There is also a systems cost. When fatherhood is not integrated into early childhood development approaches, interventions become fragmented. This limits scale, sustainability, and impact. Leaving fathers out, therefore, shapes the effectiveness of the entire early childhood system. Recognising this gap is the first step towards building more inclusive and efficient solutions to care for children
The Investment Case for Fatherhood
This is where fatherhood shifts from a social consideration to a clear investment opportunity. Engaging fathers and male caregivers can strengthen the impact of early childhood development interventions by expanding the network of adults who contribute to children’s care, learning, and well-being.
When fathers are actively included, existing programmes can achieve greater impact without necessarily increasing costs at the same rate. This is because stronger caregiving environments produce better outcomes across multiple dimensions, including child development, maternal well-being, and household stability.
From an investment perspective, fatherhood represents an underexplored area with potential for high social returns. As with many underfunded social challenges, there is significant room to test and refine new approaches before the field becomes crowded. For funders, investors, entrepreneurs, and innovators, this creates an opportunity to develop and scale solutions that strengthen caregiving environments and improve outcomes for children and families
This is all about strengthening our priorities as the country by recognising that caregiving systems are interconnected. Investing in fatherhood is ultimately an investment in the wider ecosystem of early childhood development.
What Investment in Fatherhood Looks Like in Practice
Investment in fatherhood can take many forms depending on context and need. It includes parenting solutions and programmes that actively engage fathers from pregnancy through the early years, helping them build the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills needed to provide responsive care. It also includes community-based initiatives that challenge traditional assumptions about caregiving, promote more equitable caregiving roles, and encourage shared responsibility for children’s wellbeing.
Workplace policies also play a central role, especially in supporting fathers to be present in early caregiving stages. While 85% of South African women utilise their full parental leave, male uptake is steadily rising. Corporate and public funding directed towards advocating for equitable parental leave and flexible arrangements creates long-term value, as fathers who take leave during the earliest months form caregiving habits that stick.
There is also space for innovation in how programmes are designed and delivered. Integrating male caregivers into existing maternal and child health or early learning platforms strengthens overall reach and impact. What is important is that fatherhood should be embedded within broader early childhood development strategies to ensure interventions reflect the reality of children’s lived environments.
An Opportunity Worth Exploring
Rethinking fatherhood changes how we understand early childhood development. It shifts the focus from isolated interventions to interconnected systems of care. When fathers and male caregivers are included intentionally, the potential for stronger outcomes increases.
Seeing fatherhood as an investment opportunity invites a different kind of thinking. It encourages funders, practitioners, and policymakers to look at overlooked spaces where impact can be unlocked. In doing so, it opens the door to more inclusive, effective, and sustainable solutions to supporting young children. In the end, it reframes fatherhood as a practical lever for strengthening systems of care that support children’s development from the very beginning of life’s journey.
Read more insights and stories here.
Author: Dimpho Lephaila – Communications Associate at Innovation Edge