Early Childhood Fathering

Nurturing care is the conditions that provide for children’s health, nutrition, security and safety, responsive caregiving, and opportunities for early learning. Nurturing children means keeping them safe, healthy, and well nourished, paying attention and responding to their needs and interests, encouraging them to explore their environment, and interacting with caregivers and others.

Nurturing care is not only important for promoting young children’s development. It also protects them from the worst effects of adversity by lowering their stress levels and encouraging emotional and cognitive coping mechanisms. Nurturing care is especially important for children with developmental difficulties and disabilities, as well as for preventing the maltreatment of children.

Caregivers are the closest people to the young child in the period from pregnancy to age 3 and thus the best providers of nurturing care.

Caregiver fathers are most able to provide their children with nurturing care when they are secure - emotionally, financially and socially. Caregivers must also be able to participate
in social networks, be empowered to make decisions in the child's best interest, and be affirmed in the important role they play in the lives of the children in their care.

The need for nurturing care does not end when the child reaches 3. Nurturing care adapted to children’s developmental needs should continue throughout middle childhood and adolescence to consolidate gains and address challenges associated with each stage.

To reach their full potential, children need the five components of nurturing care.