A father’s presence in a child’s life has a profound impact on their development. When a father – whether a biological, foster or adoptive father, stepfather, uncle, or grandfather – is actively involved and takes on a nurturing role, he helps shape the child’s physical, emotional, and intellectual development, building a solid foundation for a thriving future.
Tariro Nyama – a dedicated early learning principal from Hout Bay – has witnessed the impact of father involvement at her centre:
In South Africa, about 65% of children grow up without having a biological father in the home. The father’s absence means that many children miss out on the significant benefits of having an actively involved father, especially in the critical early years when they need the most nurturing and responsive care.
Research by Heartlines highlights a major knowledge gap, with a significant number of people unaware of the crucial role an involved and supportive father plays in a child’s development. Their research also reveals a skills gap, as many fathers who want to be involved often lack confidence or knowledge to do so effectively.
Heartlines addresses this issue through its Fathers Matter programme and uses various strategies to encourage father involvement. One such approach is the Fathers Matter ECD project, which equips early learning practitioners and principals with tools and knowledge to help fathers become more engaged in their children’s lives and learning journeys.
Research shows that when a father is positively and actively present in the first years of a child’s life, they are more likely to remain involved as the child grows, and that can have a long-lasting impact on the child’s future. The State of South African Fatherhood report (2024) further highlights that children with engaged fathers tend to have stronger language skills and perform better academically. These findings, along with other studies, reinforce the crucial role that father involvement plays in shaping children’s educational outcomes and overall well-being in South Africa.
Given the strong alignment with our work, we embraced the opportunity to partner with Heartlines in piloting the Fathers Matter ECD initiative by providing financial backing.
Empowering Early Childhood Leaders to Involve Fathers in Early Learning
Between 2023 and 2024, Heartlines collaborated with ECD training organisations, early learning practitioners, and principals in a pilot to encourage greater father involvement in early learning centres through the Fathers Matter ECD project. This initiative provided practical training and resources designed to enable these stakeholders to engage fathers in meaningful ways.
At the heart of the initiative was the Fathers Matter ECD toolkit, a resource that was developed based on research with over 80 early learning practitioners in South Africa and others working in this field. It includes four short, animated videos (available in English, isiZulu, Afrikaans, Sesotho, isiXhosa and Setswana) and two written guides with easy-to-use tips and strategies for engaging fathers. The toolkit covers essential topics, such as the pivotal role fathers play in early childhood; ways to make early learning centres more father-friendly; and how to build strong partnerships between fathers, mothers, and other caregivers to support children’s growth and learning.
To ensure the strategies in the toolkit would be effectively applied, the Fathers Matter ECD team ran online, and in-person workshops aimed at empowering early learning practitioners and principals with the knowledge and confidence to involve fathers and drive real, lasting change in their centres. All participants who attended a training workshop were given access to all Fathers Matter ECD resources for reference purposes and training of their own stakeholders.
The Impact of Father Involvement in Early Learning Centres
Growing Father Involvement
Hundreds of early learning practitioners and principals across South Africa have participated in the Fathers Matter ECD workshops, both online and in person. Many have already put their learning into action, witnessing positive results of father involvement. Some practitioners shared their experiences:
Challenges in Sustaining Father Involvement
While early learning practitioners and principals have shown tremendous enthusiasm and commitment, incorporating father engagement strategies into daily practices has not been without its challenges:
“We’ve learnt from follow-up feedback that while practitioners and principals see the value in father involvement, their demanding schedules and existing responsibilities make it difficult to prioritise new initiatives, such as this one.” – Simone Gregor, Fathers Matter ECD Project Manager
“Sustaining the involvement over time is another challenge as it requires ongoing efforts from the early learning practitioners and principals. This also makes it difficult to measure long-term impact of involving fathers in early learning”, added Simone.
Overcoming Gender Norms, Societal, and Personal Barriers to Father Involvement
Despite the progress made, deeply rooted gender norms, societal and personal barriers continue to shape attitudes towards father involvement, presenting additional challenges. One of the most prevalent of these being the idea that a man is not a father if he cannot provide financially. Where fathers want to be involved, they may encounter resistance from communities, partners, or their own uncertainties about their role. Traditional beliefs about caregiving still place the primary responsibility on mothers, leaving fathers feeling excluded or ill-equipped. Additionally, safety concerns, trust issues, and generational patterns of absent fatherhood reinforce these dynamics.
Some early learning practitioners and principals voiced their concerns:
However, these challenges have not discouraged the Fathers Matter ECD team. In fact, the training they’ve been running sparked interest from community organisations working with fathers. This created opportunities to expand their reach by training fathers directly and engaging mothers and caregivers to support father involvement.
For instance, the team was invited to present at a father’s evening at the Fish Hoek Pre-primary School. The Thušanang Trust in Haenertsburg , Limpopo, provided training to a men’s group after attending a Fathers Matter ECD workshop.
As the initiative continues to grow, new opportunities are emerging to deepen its impact and reach more communities. Each lesson learnt opens new doors, creating more opportunities to strengthen father involvement in early learning:
“The Fathers Matter ECD toolkit’s short video clips have proven effective in communicating key messages about father involvement. However, translating these resources into languages such as isiXhosa and Setswana could help extend their impact to more communities.” – Simone Gregor, Fathers Matter ECD Project Manager
The Impact of Fathers Matter ECD in Numbers
While the Fathers Matter ECD project set out to train early learning practitioners and principals, the growing interest in father involvement has created opportunities to engage fathers, parents, and caregivers directly. This growing momentum is reflected in the numbers, highlighting the project’s reach and impact:
Building on Progress
The Fathers Matter ECD project has demonstrated the significant impact that father involvement can have on early learning and child development. The positive outcomes observed – from improved child behaviour to increased engagement from fathers – highlight the crucial role active fatherhood plays in a child’s educational journey and development.
However, deeply ingrained cultural norms and societal expectations continue to influence perceptions of fatherhood. Encouraging greater father involvement requires a shift in mindset, not only from fathers but also from mothers, other caregivers and society as a whole. Recognising and valuing the role that fathers play in ECD is essential. We all need to break down harmful stereotypes and foster inclusive environments by creating opportunities for fathers to engage, both in the home and in early learning settings.
“Our investment in initiatives like Fathers Matter ECD emphasises the value of early, impactful interventions in shaping a child’s future. While these efforts have made some difference, there is still work to be done in overcoming the stigmas surrounding father involvement. It is vital that fathers are empowered to play a more active role in early childhood development. As we move forward, Innovation Edge remains committed to supporting innovative solutions that enhance father involvement in the lives of children.” – Gilbert Anyetei, Investment Principal, Innovation Edge
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Author: Dimpho Lephaila – Communications Associate at Innovation Edge