The Model

How REAL Fathers works

Why young fathers?

The transition to fatherhood is a window of opportunity. Young men’s ideas about what it means to be a husband and a father are still forming, and the habits they build in the first years of parenting (how they discipline, how they communicate with their partner, how they share decisions) shape family life for years to come. REAL Fathers works in this window to prevent intimate partner violence and harsh discipline of young children before patterns set in.

Who it reaches

  • Young fathers ages 16 to 25 who are parenting a child ages 1 to 5
  • Their partners, through joint sessions focused on couple communication
  • Their communities, through community-level activities that make positive fatherhood visible and valued

How it works

To do: confirm the number, length, and timing of each component below, and add or remove components to match the current curriculum.

Mentoring

Respected community members are trained as mentors and meet one-on-one with young fathers over [number] sessions across [duration], building skills in positive parenting and nonviolent discipline.

Group sessions

Fathers meet in small groups to practice skills, share challenges, and support one another.

Couple communication

Sessions with fathers and their partners strengthen communication about the day-to-day wellbeing of the family and plans for the future, including voluntary family planning.

Community engagement

Posters, community dialogues, and a closing celebration recognize fathers’ progress and shift community norms around fatherhood.

Intended outcomes

REAL Fathers aims to:

  • Increase the use of positive parenting and nonviolent discipline
  • Reduce intimate partner violence
  • Strengthen positive couple communication
  • Increase voluntary family planning use
  • Foster acceptance of gender-equitable roles within families

Theory of change

To do: add a theory of change graphic (save it in images/ and reference it here), or link to the Theory of Change report in the Resources library.

Implementing REAL Fathers

Organizations interested in implementing or adapting REAL Fathers can start with the Implementation Guidelines and contact the team.