Supporting Young Dads Final Report: The Use and Value of Community Groups for Young Men Who are Fathers.

Community groups can be settings which enable people to come together, meet with peers and engage in positive activities and support. Little is known about community groups for young men who are fathers and young men can often feel marginalized in and from other services and family support settings. This report therefore details findings from a qualitative research project into two different projects which are providing groups for young men who are fathers. The research is based on interviews with stakeholders and participants within the two projects and this report looks at key themes and findings around the use and value of groups for young dads. The research shows that groups can be a useful way to create peer support, and that young men enjoy spending time with other young dads and having spaces to relax away from home. Groups can help improve skills, increase confidence and help develop parenting practices so can have multiple benefits. Working with young dads in group settings requires careful consideration of the context of young men’s lives, how the group is facilitated, and having an activity focus seems to be effective. This report then sets out the possible use of community groups, offers the voices of young men about their experiences of groups and makes suggestions of areas for consideration for those thinking about working with young men. (Author abstract)