Singapore Dads for Life movement
Encyclopedia
History
Dads for Life emerged in SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in the context of two sociological trends. From the 1970s, increasing numbers of women took to the labour force, leading to an evolution of expectations of fatherhood beyond the traditional role of “breadwinner”. In 1991, 55.7% of women in the prime working ages of 25 to 54 were employed. By 2010, a record 71.7% of women were in the labour force. Such “dual career” families have required fathers to play a more active role in their children’s lives than before.
The second trend has been the continued lag in the involvement of fathers in family life behind that of mothers, despite evolving social and familial norms. In line with research findings in other countries, a 2006 study conducted in Singapore found that mothers were still much more likely than fathers to be their child’s caregiver
Caregiver
Caregiver may refer to:* Caregiver or carer - an unpaid person who cares for someone requiring support due to a disability, frailty, mental health problem, learning disability or old age...
. Traditional male roles also persist in the type of relationship most children have with their fathers. A 2001 study of post-secondary students in Singapore found that they perceived fathers as significantly less warm than mothers, in that fathers were less affectionate and provided less support and guidance to adolescent children in their everyday lives.
The late 1990s saw an emergence of independent efforts to promote involved fatherhood and in 1999, the first father-centric social organisation, Centre For Fathering, was registered in Singapore providing family life education and father-child bonding activities. In 2004, the Association of Devoted and Active Family Men (ADAM) was formed to raise awareness on men’s responsibilities and roles in society and family. Government interest began in earnest after the first national survey on fatherhood concluded in 2009. Conducted by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS)
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports is a ministry of the Government of Singapore tasked with, from the government's point of view, building a "cohesive and resilient" society in Singapore.The MCYS often pursues vigorous social engineering campaigns of varying effectiveness and...
, the lead government agency for family matters in Singapore, this gave national focus to the agenda of promoting involved fatherhood. The survey which polled 2,220 Singaporeans and Permanent Residents aged 18 and above found widespread agreement that fathers play an important parenting role, but that fathers still spend less time with their children than mothers. 95% of fathers surveyed also agreed that being a father and raising children was one of the most fulfilling experiences a man could have, but cited parenting challenges such as work responsibilities, financial pressures and a lack of parenting resources.
With support from MCYS, Dads for Life was launched on 19 November 2009 in conjunction with International Men’s Day
International Men's Day
International Men's Day is an annual international event celebrated on 19 November. Inaugurated in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago, the day and its events find support from a variety of individuals and groups in Australia, the Caribbean, North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the United...
, with a mission to “inspire, mobilize and involve fathers to become good influencers in their children’s lives for life”. Volunteers led an island-wide distribution of toolkit packs to fathers containing red and white wristbands and lapel pins bearing the movement’s logo. The local significance of this movement for the family is captured by the National Family Council's chairman Mr Lim Soon Hock: “co-parenting is essential for a child’s optimal growth and development, with fathers and mothers playing distinct but complementary roles. Being an active father can be challenging, but it is also a very fulfilling experience. In promoting greater co-parenting, we... support not just fathers, but also mothers, to make the entire parenting experience an enriching one for the Singaporean family.” DFL celebrated its first anniversary on 18 November 2010.
Effects of Father Involvement
Dads for Life is founded on fatherhood research from the 1990s onward that points to the significant benefit of fathers’ involvement on child developmentChild development
Child development stages describe theoretical milestones of child development. Many stage models of development have been proposed, used as working concepts and in some cases asserted as nativist theories....
in terms of improved cognitive, socio-emotional, psychological
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and academic
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
outcomes. For example, children with involved and nurturing fathers are noted to:
- develop higher intelligence quotientIntelligence quotientAn intelligence quotient, or IQ, is a score derived from one of several different standardized tests designed to assess intelligence. When modern IQ tests are constructed, the mean score within an age group is set to 100 and the standard deviation to 15...
s (IQs), better language and reasoning skills; - be more securely attachedAttachment in childrenNewborn humans infants cannot survive without a caregiver to provide food and protection, and will not thrive without other types of support as well. While infants have relatively few inborn behaviors—such as crying, rooting, and sucking—they also come with many behavioral systems ready to be...
to their caregivers; - experience less emotional distress during adolescenceAdolescenceAdolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
; - report lower levels of anxietyAnxietyAnxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
and depressionDepression (mood)Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
as adults; - perform better in school.
Active paternal involvement is also linked to benefits such as:
- better couple relationships among parents;
- lower levels of maternal stress;
- positive changes in fathers' self-identity.
National Family Council
Dads for Life is an initiative of the National Family Council (NFC). The NFC is a people-sector Council formed on 1 May 2006 to "champion and promote the building of resilient families, and provide a voice of the people on family issues". It is an advisory and consultative body for family-related policies, issues and programmes. The NFC is headed by Mr Lim Soon Hock, Chairman of Centre for Fathering.Fathers Action Network
The Fathers Action Network (FAN) was constituted as a workgroup of the NFC when DFL was launched in November 2009. FAN functions as a consultative network for father-related issues and programmes, and has three stated goals:- To increase awareness and knowledge about the critical impact of fathers’ involvement on their children’s lives;
- To mobilise individuals, organisations and communities, and promote greater collaboration amongst stakeholders, in increasing fathers’ involvement in their children’s lives; and
- To empower and support fathers in their roles as parents.
FAN comprises 15 members from various nonprofit organisations and business enterprises, reflecting the community-driven nature of the movement. FAN is headed by Mr Richard Seow, a former banker. Describing the approach adopted by FAN, Mr Seow noted that “many organisations…are already engaging and supporting fathers. Rather than replicate their good work, the network, through its multi-stakeholder representation, hopes to help fathers identify and leverage these resources as they assume increasingly diverse roles in co-parenting and modern family life.”
Dads for Life Secretariat
The DFL Secretariat functions as an executive and coordinating arm of the movement and is centralized within MCYS.Fathers@Schools
In 2009, a public survey of schools administrators examined the involvement of fathers in the school environment in Singapore. This led to a publication of international and local best practices for engaging fathers and starting father support groups in schools. On 1 April 2010, the Fathers@Schools scheme was launched with more than 50 partner schools. Schools on board the public scheme receive seed funding of S$2,000 annually to support or organise father-focused activities. By November 2010, 66 schools joined Fathers@Schools including two special educationSpecial education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
(SPED) schools.
Dads@Workplace
A national fatherhood conference was held on 14 May 2010 targeting employers and organisations to promote a father-friendly work environment. The inaugural event drew a strong show of interest with employers sending over 1000 participants. In November 2010, Dads@Workplace was announced as the new initiative to engage employers in supporting fatherhood as part of work culture such as through celebrating new fathers, organizing fathering talks and allowing flexible work arrangements.Research Initiatives
A review of international research on fatherhood was compiled in 2009, with 40,000 booklets distributed in the first year of the movement. In June 2010, the Asia Fatherhood Research Conference was convened with the National University of Singapore's Asia Research Institute as the first such conference in Asia, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to explore the roles and challenges of Asian fathers and fatherhood in Asian countries. The conference featured 17 speakers from seven countries and was opened by Parliamentary SecretaryParliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
of the Ministry of National Development (Singapore)
Ministry of National Development (Singapore)
The Ministry of National Development is a ministry of the Government of Singapore that directs the formulation and implementation of policies related to land use planning and infrastructure development...
, Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman.
Social Media Outreach
In building new mediaNew media
New media is a broad term in media studies that emerged in the latter part of the 20th century. For example, new media holds out a possibility of on-demand access to content any time, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community...
reach, Dads for Life launched a website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
and social media
Social media
The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
channels on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
on 1 April 2010 to serve as a digital repository, online forum and support network for fathers. At the same time, a national student blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
contest was held to give voice to children's appreciation and need for father involvement. The contest "Dads Come In Different Shapes & Sizes But They Are The Best Dads For Life" drew 677 published entries from children across primary and secondary schools. On Children's Day
Children's Day
"Children Day", as an event, is celebrated on various days in many places around the world, in particular to honor children. Major global variants include a Universal Children's Day on November 20, by United Nations recommendation...
2010, Dads for Life ran a second online contest, "The Joy of Being There", this time collecting 110 stories from Singaporean fathers through Facebook.
Community Partnerships
As an umbrella movementUmbrella organization
An umbrella organization is an association of institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. In business, political, or other environments, one group, the umbrella organization, provides resources and often an identity to the smaller organizations...
, Dads for Life collaborates with community and corporate partners who spread the movement’s message through their own activities and networks. The following are examples of local initiatives that are supported through this partnership approach:
- Family and Fathering Initiative@North East - The North East Community Development CouncilNorth East Community Development CouncilThe North East Community Development Council is one of five Community Development Councils set up across the Republic of Singapore to aid in local administration of governmental policies and schemes. They are funded in part by the government although they are free to engage in fund-raising...
started its own two year program called "Family and Fathering Initiative@NorthEast” (FINE) in the North East district. Launched on 29 May 2010 and supported by Dads for Life, the program targets low-income families to help fathers with effective strategies for balancing work and staying involved. - 10,000 Fathers Reading! initiative - The National Library Board's Fathers Read and Ride initiative, supported by Dads for Life, was held from June to September 2010 to encourage fathers to read with their children. Participants boarded a dedicated Mass Rapid TransitMass Rapid TransitThe term Mass Rapid Transit may refer to Rapid transit.The name Mass Rapid Transit is used by the following specific rapid transit systems, either as an official name or otherwise:* Mass Rapid Transit system in Singapore...
train and were treated to storytellingStorytellingStorytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
sessions conducted in creative ways. - ISCOS Family Day - On 20 June 2010, also Father’s Day, Dads for Life supported the Family Day organised by Industrial and Services Co-Operative Society Ltd (ISCOS), an agency assisting with the reintegration and employment of ex-offenders. The event brought together over 300 ISCOS ex-offenders, many of whom are fathers, and their families.
- National Runway Cycling and Skating - On 20 June 2010, Dads for Life supported the National Runway Cycle and Skate 2010 event organised by the Singapore Armed Forces Reservists Association (SAFRA), a club for Singapore Armed ForcesSingapore Armed ForcesThe Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
employees and National Servicemen. The annual event opens up the Paya Lebar AirbasePaya Lebar AirbasePaya Lebar Air Base is a military airbase of the Republic of Singapore Air Force located at Paya Lebar, in the central-eastern part of Singapore, the airbase goes by the motto of "Strength Through Readiness"....
runway to the public to cycle and skate, and saw the participation of an estimated 8000 people, including many fathers and their children. - SAFRA AVventura - In January 2011, SAFRA introduced a new Dads for Life Challenge to its annual cross-terrain adventure race, featuring 14 father-and-child teams. Teams competed together in various mystery challenges along a 6km race route in which they navigated on bike and foot.