Increased involvement of fathers in nurturing care for children from birth onwards is an important societal concern that can offer many benefits to the child, the father, and the mother alike. This is the central driving force of the partners in the 4E-PARENT project consortium, which kicked off in 2023. The project, led by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), The Italian Institute of Health, identified a shared purpose encapsulated by four "Es":

• Early participation of fathers, even before birth
• Equal approach to parenting
• Engaged and active participation

Empathetic, caring, and responsive parenting Funded by the European Union, the project is supported by partners including ISSA Member Centre for Child Health and Development, the Cerchio degli Uomini association, the scientific publishing agency Zadig, the consultancy company Deep Blue, the Maschile Plurale Network, (connecting men’s and fathers’ groups across Italy)  and ISSA. The project has support from Italian Committee for UNICEF, the Association Cultural Pediatricians (ACP) and the Health Intervention Research Institute (IRIS).

Scientific literature has long affirmed numerous benefits of the early, practical, and empathetic involvement of fathers in parenting including positive results for the cognitive, social, and emotional development of children. It also creates a strong emotional bond early on, improves the psycho-physical health of child and mother, as well as contributing to equality between men and women and the fight against domestic violence.

Having an informed, aware, and involved partner can bring several benefits for mothers. Namely, shared responsibilities of care and domestic work; easier balancing of work and family;  more free time – especially for the mother - with reduced stress; and more balanced and richer family relationships.

The 4E-PARENT project is implemented in Italy, a country where the family welfare system still favors traditional and masculine gender and parenting models. This is further exacerbated by legislation and work-place attitudes and culture that do not encourage fathers to take  leave.

4E-PARENT picks up where the 2021 European project, PARENT, left off. The consortium recognizes that, to support the change of attitudes, habits, stereotypes, and social structure, the interventions must be tailored to the national context.

Advocacy efforts will take place in Italy and at the European level to encourage father involvement in childrearing, as well as an equal distribution of caring responsibilities between genders. The project pushes for policy change in the public and welfare sector, encourages cultural change, and promotes knowledge sharing about gender stereotypes.