Ryan Warren is the only full-time Dads’ worker in Glasgow. With the culture around fatherhood changing, the services being offered need to change as well. Dads are no longer just provider and enforcer – they are an important and integral part of the family. If we are going to get it right for every child we need to be doing more to support dad.

Thirty years ago less than a third of dads were in the delivery room. Now we’re talking about a very small percentage of dads that aren’t present at birth. This is a huge shift in the entire culture around dads, but we’re not seeing a change in how this culture is being reacted to. 

Being a parent is a lot of work. But having two well-equipped parents will have better outcomes for the children, not just as babies but throughout their lives. That’s why we are investing in dads from the earliest stages – when dads are present at birth, they need to be prepared just as mum does.

A big philosophy in my role is that dad is an asset. Dads provide fun - they provide risk, they provide excitement – they are able to do things that are different to what mum does. These are all vital for our kids’ development, and it’s something that is often overlooked or misunderstood.

We need to stop thinking that dads are a bystander parent but actually a part of that parenting team, someone who can provide something unique for the family. The dads that I meet want to raise their children differently to how they were because life is so different now.

The culture has changed, it’s time for our services to step up. Find out more about our antenatal work by following me on Twitter: @DadGuyRyan and @HomeStartGS.