Fathers and Male Co-Parents Perinatal Support Service

The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham is commissioning a comprehensive support service for fathers and male co-parents from pregnancy through age five. The service will provide targeted mental health support for those experiencing mild to moderate perinatal mental health difficulties up to when the child is two years old, alongside practical parenting guidance to strengthen parent-child relationships and support child development. The service must adopt a strengths-based, proportionate universalistic approach offering: universal access to information, advice, and social connection for all fathers; targeted mental health interventions and parenting support for those with identified needs; and embedded peer support opportunities that continue until the child's fifth birthday to reduce isolation and build supportive communities. Providers should ensure all engagement is accessible, welcoming, and non-stigmatising, recognising the vital role fathers and co-parents play in their child's life and family wellbeing.