Dads and dads to be

Dads and dads to be

Becoming a father is life changing, but good advice and support can help. Discover more tips on how to thrive in your new role as a dad.

A Dad's involvement in parenting has positive outcomes for children, particularly in psychological and social development.

Dads play an important role in a child's life. Here you can find information, advice and support to help dads in their fatherhood journey.

Dad's rights and responsibilities

A mother automatically has parental responsibility for her child from birth.

A father usually has parental responsibility if he’s either:

  • married to the child’s mother
  • listed on the birth certificate (after a certain date, depending on which part of the UK the child was born in)

You can apply for parental responsibility if you do not automatically have it.

Find out more:

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