Ed Balls: We need to make time for dads
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Ed Balls, this week called on individual employers to promote their own family friendly working practices, especially flexible hours for dads. [Source: APSCo]
The call to action to employers is part of the Think Fathers campaign, launched last year by the DCSF to kickstart a national debate on the importance of dads.
The first national Think Fathers Summit was held in London last week.
Ed Balls said:
“I want all fathers to feel supported by their employers, so that they can make time for their families and work flexibly around caring for their children. That is why we are working with BT and other businesses to produce a guide for employers on the benefits of supporting fathers in the workforce and how to set up family friendly practices … Research has shown that children with highly involved fathers at age seven do better at school, have higher selfesteem and are less likely to get into trouble in adolescence. We need to get rid of the outdated assumption that dads are the invisible parent.”
