Dad-inclusive parenting has been at the heart of my work for years, but it is not every day it takes you to Westminster Hall. On Wednesday 4 November 2026, that is exactly where I was, at Start Strong’s parliamentary briefing on their new research, A Stronger Story: Building public support for babies and young children.
Sitting among MPs, peers and some of the most dedicated people in early childhood, I kept thinking about the dads I meet every week. The ones who walk into a session not sure if they belong. The ones who light up when they realise they are not the only one finding it hard.
They are the reason I keep doing this.
Why I started Dadvengers
I started Dadvengers in 2020 because I was not happy with the support I was seeing for dads. There were not enough resources and not enough places for dads to turn. I have spent 26 years working with children, through CBeebies, performing arts and dance teaching, and as a dad of three myself I knew how much dads want to get it right. Too often, they were being left on the sidelines.
Six years on, I still deliver most of our sessions myself, and I still see the same thing: when you give dads the space, the support and the permission to show up, they do. And their families feel the difference.
What Start Strong’s research tells us about babies and young children
What struck me most about Start Strong’s research is how hopeful it is. More than 11,000 people took part, and 92% of them said it is important that babies and young children are safe, healthy and cared for. But only 42% see it as a priority.
That gap is our job. Not convincing people to care, because they already do, but telling a story strong enough to get them to act.
As someone who has spent a career telling stories to children and families, that really landed with me. The research says we should talk about what babies’ lives look like right now: time with their parents, a secure home, play and relationships. That is exactly where dads come in.
What is dad-inclusive parenting, and why does it matter?
When we talk about time with parents, that has to include dads. Yet too many services are still designed around mum, and too many dads are left wondering whether they are meant to be in the room at all.
Dad-inclusive parenting means designing support, services and conversations so that dads are expected, welcomed and involved from the very start. It is not about taking anything away from mums. It is about recognising that when dads are confident and supported, mums are better supported too, and babies get more love, more time and more security. Everybody wins.
The campaign for better paternity leave in the UK
Some of this change needs to come from government. According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the UK has the least generous paternity leave in Europe: two weeks, on very low pay. That is not enough time to adjust, to bond or to be there for your partner when it matters most.
There has been real progress. The recent Budget announced that self-employed dads and partners will finally get paternity pay, a win that Maya Ellis MP, The Dad Shift and others fought hard for. I was proud to be in the room with Maya to say thank you. But we cannot stop there. With the government’s parental leave review due to report, I will keep calling for at least six weeks of paternity leave at 90% of pay.
And some of the change needs to come from all of us: the sector, employers, the media and dads ourselves. Inviting dads in. Counting them. Asking what they need. Letting them lead.
What’s next in my campaigning for dads
I will keep showing up, whether that is in Parliament, on screen, online or in a community centre on a Tuesday morning with a room full of dads and toddlers. Start Strong’s Citizens’ Assembly on babies and young children is coming up, and I hope dads’ voices will be part of it. The Dadvengers Expectant Fathers Handbook launches in 2027. And I will keep telling dads’ stories, because stories are how change starts.
Thank you to Sally Hogg and the Start Strong team for having me, to Maya Ellis MP for hosting, and to everyone I met on the day.
If you are a dad reading this, your story matters. Share it. Because when you back dads, you back babies.
Frequently asked questions
What is dad-inclusive parenting?
Dad-inclusive parenting means making sure dads are expected, welcomed and involved in parenting support and services from pregnancy onwards, so that both parents are backed in caring for their child.
How long is paternity leave in the UK?
Eligible employed dads can take two weeks of statutory paternity leave, paid at the lower of £194.32 a week or 90% of their average weekly earnings. Paternity pay for self-employed dads and partners has been announced, and the government’s review of parental leave is due to report.
