The Daddy Factor: The Crucial Impact of Fathers on Young Children’s Development

The Daddy Factor: The Crucial Impact of Fathers on Young Children’s Development, from Zero to Three, discusses exciting research evidence that supports the important role fathers play in the lives of their young children. From being involved during pregnancy to nurturing strong attachments afterward and everything in between (e.g., feeding, bathing, and playing together), fathers help children develop confidence which leads to stronger peer relationships as they grow older. The Daddy Factor also helps to raise IQ and improve communication and cognitive skills in the long term. The article summarizes its message by saying that “the more time fathers spend in enriching, stimulating play with their child . . . the better the child’s math and reading scores are at 10 and 11 years old.” So, the impact starts early and has lasting benefits that are evident years later. Join us in celebrating dads and the tremendous supports they have to offer young children.

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The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM) describes core knowledge and role-specific competencies needed for early intervention service provision, incorporating current research and evidence in the field of early intervention. To access the ESPM, click here.

This resource is related to the following ESPM knowledge-level competencies:

Core Knowledge (CK):
- CK2: The role of primary social and emotional relationships as the foundation for early learning.
- CK4: The importance of play as context, method and outcome of learning.
Individualized Family Service Plan Development and Review (IFSP-DR):
- IFSP-DR2 (EIS): Understands the individual nature of child learning styles and the importance of adapting intervention strategies.
- IFSP-DR3 (EIS): Knows generic and specific evidence-based early intervention strategies to support all areas of development.
- IFSP-DR4 (EIS): Understands early experiences that contribute to emergent literacy.