Healthy Male Plus Paternal Case for change Full report Final

The Case for Change is strong and the time to act is now. Men are missing out on the care they need, and this is impacting on Australian families. Although many organisations are making great progress in engaging and supporting fathers, there is still much work to be done to mainstream their care and development as parents. The current system, that was not designed with men in mind, can’t simply be ‘retro-fitted’, nor should its evolution to encompass fathers detract from the services needed by women. To improve the experiences and support of men, a fundamental shift in the way society and the health system views fathers is required, and change across all levels of the system, and beyond. This requires policy, service-level and individual commitments to a philosophy that is truly inclusive of men and fathers. Tokenism has no place. Social, cultural and systemic change will require the collective and collaborative efforts of many stakeholders, but the results will undoubtedly benefit men, their families and society more broadly. How can you get involved? There are many ways to support the Case for Change. Here are some ideas: • Publicly endorse the Case for Change. Visit healthymale.org.au/plus-paternal/supporters to register your support and/or that of your organisation • Participate in joint advocacy activities and sector partnerships • Review the Achieving Change table on page 15-18 and identify opportunities for change within your sphere of influence e.g.: — Develop an organisational response to the Case for Change — Lobby for additional resources to support programs for men — Audit your organisation’s policies, procedures and resources to determine whether they are father-inclusive and father-proactive — Work with men to improve systems and resources — Support the men in your life as they plan for, or become fathers For more information about Healthy Male and Plus Paternal: A focus on fathers visit www.healthymale.org.au/plus-paternal CONTACT INFO 1300 303 878 info@healthymale.org.au PO Box 7715 Melbourne VIC 3004 National Office Level 2, 492 St Kilda Road Melbourne VIC 3004 Call to action Be aware that our (fathers’) health and wellbeing is just as important to the child’s wellbeing as the mother’s in the long run. Prepare fathers for being a dad and don’t just treat us as assistants.” Men’s Lived-experience Survey Participant PLUS PATERNAL: CASE FOR CHANGE 19