Preparing Fathers for Parenthood: A Prenatal Program Supports Dads, Moms and Babies

Summary

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Advancing Health: Preparing Fathers for Parenthood

Episode Theme: Father-Inclusive Prenatal Care and Its Impact on Families
Host: Julia Resnik, AHA
Guests: Renitha Julian (Rush University Medical Center) & Paul Florsham (University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Zilber School of Public Health)
Release Date: June 16, 2025

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Overview

This special Father's Day episode highlights the Preparing for Parenthood program, an innovative prenatal initiative based in Chicago dedicated to supporting not just mothers, but fathers and their babies as well. The program aims to foster engagement of fathers in prenatal care, strengthen co-parenting skills, address social determinants of health, and empower families—ultimately improving outcomes for mothers, fathers, and children.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why Father-Inclusive Care Matters

• Fathers experience a major life transition too

  • Many fathers lack knowledge and confidence about parenting infants and the impending changes to relationships.
  • “The transition to parenting always involves a lot of relationship challenges… new parents report their relationship as, or aspects of their relationship of having been lost.” — Paul Florsham [01:16]

• Co-parenting, regardless of relationship status

  • The program treats each couple without assumptions about the future of their romantic relationship, instead focusing on building effective co-parenting skills—even if couples split up.
  • “We don't really have a stake in that [the relationship lasting]. That's for you to decide. … We do want you to be able to work together as a co-parenting team regardless of what happens…” — Paul Florsham [02:14]

• Fathers’ Presence is Protective

  • Fathers not only benefit themselves but act as key supporters for mothers during labor, delivery, and afterward, often serving as advocates and buffers.
  • “Fathers have questions. Fathers want to be helpful. They want to be there. … They have a really important role in helping keep mothers safe during labor and delivery.” — Renitha Julian [02:40]

The Chicago Community Context

• Rush University Medical Center, located centrally in Chicago, serves a diverse population—Latinx, African American, and various other ethnic groups.
• The diversity deepens the importance of cultural sensitivity and responsiveness in program design and implementation.
• “It really is good to be in that space and to serve a large group of people, all of whom may have some challenges. … It fits with our mission and vision, for sure.” — Renitha Julian [03:53]

Program Structure: Preparing for Parenthood

• Integrated with Prenatal Care

  • Services are offered in conjunction with prenatal visits, facilitating access (“It’s kind of hard to find fathers if you don’t go through the services that are being provided to mothers.” — Paul Florsham [05:59])
  • Mothers are often invested in fathers’ participation.

• Three Core Pillars

  1. Co-parenting & Communication Skills
     • Focused, individualized sessions to hone communication tailored to each couple’s needs (“We work with couples individually…we like to customize the program to meet the particular needs and wants of those couples.” — Paul Florsham [07:12])
  2. Parenting Skills
     • Practical instruction for newborn care, child safety (e.g., safe sleep), soothing techniques, and evolving content for multiple children or toddlers, including father-specific guidance.
     • “Most things are targeted towards mothers. … So how to soothe the baby, what happens when, why is your baby crying all the time?” — Renitha Julian [09:36])
  3. Care Coordination / Case Management
     • Addressing social determinants (jobs, housing, legal concerns, etc.), providing essential supports beyond parenting skills.

• Workforce Development Add-On

  • The program connects families to local workforce programs: job readiness, resume help, interview prep, and workplace skills.
  • “There’s an awareness that families need more than communication and co-parenting…a lot of families need a job, want a job, want to do something differently.” — Renitha Julian [09:28]

The Participant Experience

• Individualized, Couple-Focused Approach

  • Starts with a “parent prep check” interview—each couple’s relationship, hopes, challenges, and strengths are explored.
  • Customizes subsequent sessions to each couple’s context (e.g., first-time parents versus those with multiple children).
  • “We start with what we call the parent prep check…hone in on what the couple wants and what the couple needs…” — Renitha Julian [11:12]

• Supportive, Nonjudgmental Environment

  • Emphasizes coaching, practical support, and emotional safety—not traditional therapy or interrogating the past.
  • “We don’t want to assume that this is a relationship that both of you necessarily want to be in or that you don’t. … We really are oriented towards figuring out how do you guys move forward together.” — Paul Florsham [12:24]
  • “I act as kind of a coach and a referee…” — Paul Florsham [13:34]

Measuring Impact

• Qualitative Outcomes

  • Joy and growth among participants: Renitha shares the story of a father who finds pride and fulfillment in parenting his daughter, relishing their relationship and her learning experiences.
  • “Just the joy in listening to this father’s interview…how he felt about himself, how he felt about his daughter and how they were growing and learning together.” — Renitha Julian [14:15]

• Quantitative Results

  • Focus on co-parenting relationship quality, prevention of intimate partner violence, parental confidence, and the quality of parent-child interactions (sometimes via direct observation).
  • “Our goal really is to either improve the quality of the co-parenting relationship if they are having a lot of challenges or prevent the development of problems so that down the road they’re able to manage that relationship regardless.” — Paul Florsham [15:24]
  • Success is defined not by couples staying together romantically, but by healthy and effective co-parenting.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Many of them are sort of both excited and intimidated by the idea of having an infant.” — Paul Florsham [01:04]
• “Fathers need as much attention really as mothers do. Maybe not as much physical attention, but otherwise, they need just as much attention as mothers do.” — Renitha Julian [03:19]
• “So that if it starts to get too stressful in here, you know, I’m going to say, hold on, let’s do take a timeout.” — Paul Florsham [13:44]
• “It is very gratifying as a provider to see them find ways to parent apart if they’re able to do that successfully.” — Paul Florsham [16:10]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Theme Introduction and Importance of Father-Inclusive Care: [00:23 – 03:32]
• Community Context (Chicago’s Diversity): [03:53 – 04:42]
• Program Origins and Design: [04:53 – 08:46]
• Workforce Development & Father-Specific Parenting Content: [08:46 – 10:33]
• Participant Experience & Individualization: [11:07 – 13:46]
• Impact: Qualitative & Quantitative Findings: [13:57 – 16:25]
• Closing Thanks and Takeaways: [16:25 – 16:44]

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Summary Takeaway

Preparing Fathers for Parenthood demonstrates that meaningful, father-inclusive prenatal programs can be transformative. Through collaborative, tailored support, both parents gain practical skills, confidence, and the resources they need to nurture their children—regardless of their relationship status or background. The program’s real-world impact is seen both in participant stories and measurable outcomes, pointing to a promising model for family and community health.

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Transcript

[A]

Welcome to Advancing Health. Today's podcast celebrates Father's Day. Renitha Julian from Rush University Medical center and Paul Florsham from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Zilber School of Public health, join the AHA's Julia Resnik to share the impact of father inclusive prenatal health care.

[B]

Renitha. Paul, so happy to be here with you today to talk about this really important topic and just so glad that we can release this podcast for Father's Day. So during pregnancy there's always a lot of focus on the mom for understandable reasons. But we also know that fathers are experiencing a major life event and becoming a parent. Can you talk a little bit about why a father inclusive approach is so important for both maternal and infant outcomes? Paul, why don't we start with you?

[C]

To some extent, it's similar to moms in that particularly for, of course, new fathers, that very few young men, or even not young men, you know, sort of know a whole lot about how to prepare for parenting, how to parent an infant in particular. Many of them are sort of both excited and intimidated by the idea of having an infant. You know, the, the transition to parenting always involves a lot of relationship challenges. It's a pretty common phenomenon that new parents report their relationship as, or aspects of their relationship of having been lost. And so the, the challenges of sort of managing the connection part, the romantic part of the relationship is something that many of our couples sort of want to talk about when we're working with them. I would just add that part of that is that some of these couples, and we approach our couples that we work with as we don't know whether you're going to stay together or split apart. And we don't really have a stake in that. That's for you to decide. And we don't push it one way or the other, but we do want you to be able to work together as a co parenting team regardless of what happens to that relationship. And so that's another reason that I think men, it's important to include the fathers in the process so that they have those skills, the communication skills to navigate even a breakup in that relationship that they're able to co parent as well.

[B]

Absolutely. Renitha, anything you want to add?

[D]

Fathers have questions. Fathers want to be helpful. They want to be there. And I think that they have a really important role in helping keep mothers safe during labor and delivery and to really be a buffer for her for all that's going on around her so that every question, everything doesn't come directly to the mother. And then I think there is a lot of information out there about how father's presence and involvement is beneficial, not only to themselves, but to the mothers and to the babies. So there are multiple reasons why fathers need as much attention really as mothers do. Maybe not as much physical attention, but otherwise, they need just as much attention as mothers do.

[B]

Absolutely. And I think that piece about, you know, being. Being in this as a partnership, I want to dive into the work that you're doing with the Preparing for Parenthood program, which is going on in the Chicago area through Rush University Medical center, where you work. Renitha and I know that you partner with a lot of community stakeholders. So can you tell us more about the community that your hospital serves?

[D]

Our hospital is positioned, I would say, towards the center of the city. And so there are numerous neighborhoods that surround us. So there are Latin families, there are African American families, there are other ethnic origins and other groups that surround us. So we really. We speak to the importance of being sensitive and responsive to the communities that we serve. So it's a really nice, I think, hodgepodge of communities. And so it really is good to be in that space and to serve a large group of people, all of whom may have some challenges. They may not. They may be fine. So it fits with our mission and vision, for sure.

[B]

And knowing Chicago like I do, you're really at the crossroads of so many different communities. Paul, I know you're based in Wisconsin, so can you talk a little bit about what your role is with the program?

[C]

So Renitha and I are really co directors of the program. We applied for the. For the grant together. You know, you sort of have to choose a community to do this in. I'm back and forth to Chicago quite a bit. And so we ran this through Rush. You know, Chicago has. Has both a lot to offer, but also we felt like it was a good place to do a fatherhood program.

[B]

Wonderful. So we've been dancing around the idea of the program, and I really want to dive into what the Preparing for Parenthood program is. Knows this from when I talked to her. I learned about the program when I was riding the train in Chicago and saw an ad for it and said, I absolutely need to know more about the work that they're doing, because this is so hugely important for families in Chicago and for other communities across the country. So can you share more about what the program is and what you do?

[C]

So one of the key features of it is that I think we've already sort of talked about a little bit, is that it is offered in collaboration with prenatal care. And we do that quite intentionally, partly as a preventative program, like we want to sort of reach fathers as they're getting ready for parenthood. But it's also the case that it's a really nice vehicle for connecting with fathers. It's kind of hard to find fathers if you don't go through the services that are being provided to mothers. And mothers we have found to be very invested in fathers getting some services. It's also the case that prenatal care providers have an importance in the lives of both mothers and fathers. That sort of lends legitimacy to what we're doing. And so that's really helpful in terms of engaging particularly young men who may not be all that interested in engaging with sort of social service agencies, mental health institutions, that sort of thing that we feel as though through prenatal care we're able to reach a broader part of the young male population. The program focuses on essentially three things. The co parenting piece, and we sort of talk about that in different ways. But one of the ways that I like to sort of talk about it is communication skills development. A lot of couples readily acknowledge that communication is an issue for them, and so they kind of resonate with that right away. It's tailored like a prenatal care. In a prenatal care setting, we work with couples individually in the sense that it's couple by couple rather than groups of couples. And part of the reason we do that is that we like to customize the program to meet the particular needs and wants of those couples. And it's not always the same. So we tailor those communication skills to what the couple is asking for, what they're presenting to us. We shift at some point to parenting skills. So, you know, for new parents, we of course focus on, you know, sort of some basic parenting skills. For newborns, we have expanded to also, including not just first time parents. And so we also focus on, you know, sort of how to parent with another new child, as well as toddler kinds of issues. And then we have case management services we call care coordination services. And that's a variety of things could be related to jobs, housing, legal entanglements, all the sort of things that some of our couples are challenged by. And we can't really get to the parenting stuff or the co parenting stuff unless we also attend to all that other stuff in some cases are the social determinants of health. So that's it in a nutshell. And Renitha can tell me if I.

[D]

Forgot anything I'd like to add, which is really, our funders require us to include something that's going to support fathers primarily, but we also support mothers. And whether or not someone decides they want to continue their education, they want to pursue a new trade or new career. So our workforce development component connects fathers and mothers with a program that's here in the city of Chicago that helps with that and starts off with preparing to get a job and completing your resume and job interviewing and workplace conflict potentially. So how do you handle things when you're at work and something comes up? And so all of those pieces fit into the workforce development component, which I think is what in particular excited me about this opportunity. Because there's an awareness that families need more than communication and co parenting and knowing how to raise children. A lot of families need a job, want a job, want to do something differently. And then one final thing. I think that when Paul mentioned the parenting, we have specific content that was developed for fathers in that piece because most things are targeted towards mothers. And so how to soothe the baby, what happens when, why is your baby crying all the time? Or how can you hold them to make them more comfortable? And the safety piece is about putting them down to sleep on their back and all of those kinds of things. So that's also something I think is important in what we are providing to families.

[B]

Absolutely. And there's so many parts of this program that are exciting and I love that you bring them in as a couple. So it's not just fathers together and mothers together, but really focusing on like the couple as a co parenting unit, it's just really great. And that whole person approach, recognizing that it's not just about parenting skills, but like feeling economically secure and stable in your community and as parents. So I'm just curious, like, you know, if. If a couple decides to join this program, like, can you walk me through what their experience would look like?

[D]

So as we talked about the couple's experience and why we work couple by couple, we start with what we call the parent prep check, and we interview the mother and the father to try to get a sense of where they are as a couple, where their relationship is, their hopes and dreams in terms of thinking about what they want as parents and how they want to experience and live through parenthood. Which is why that couple's approach is so important. Because in a group setting, you can imagine you've got, say, five groups. You may have five different areas to focus on at the same time, but us starting with that couple is that we can really hone in on what the couple wants and what the couple needs and what they identify as their strengths and opportunities. So that's the really, I think, fun part about this, is because we want to address the couple's needs and starting where they are. That missed something, Paul?

[C]

No, I think that's it. I mean, that's sort of how we have designed the intake process to be very engaging and to make that point of. Well, we make a couple points. One is that we want to really tailor this to your needs. The other is that we're very deliberate in saying we are about the co parenting relationship, and we don't want to assume that this is a relationship that both of you necessarily want to be in or. Or that you don't. You know, we want to take the pressure off of that as well so that they feel comfortable sort of moving forward with us. The other thing that I would say is, is that, you know, it can be a little intimidating to come in and talk to. Like, for me, I'm a mental. We don't assume that everybody who's delivering the. The father inclusive prenatal care services is a mental health professional. I happen to be a mental health professional. Some of the couples do come in with some pretty significant issues, and so we do want to make sure that they feel comfortable talking about those in a way that feels safe. So we really emphasize we're not about digging into your deep, you know, sort of histories. And we really are oriented towards figuring out how do you guys move forward together. And I often say I act as kind of a coach and a referee, so that if it starts to get too stressful in here, you know, I'm going to say, hold on, let's do take a timeout.

[B]

That's great. So after five years of running this program, how are you measuring the impact and what are you seeing that you think is particularly meaningful?

[D]

So I'm going to leave the metrics to Paul and talk a little bit about the quality. Like we call it qualitative components. And I'll give an example of a father that we interviewed at the second interview, second time point. He spoke about how much he was learning about and from his daughter and how much he enjoyed that relationship that they had developed. And there were times when he gave her space to explore and to quote, unquote, fail, if you will, you know, and it's like, pick yourself up. Okay, we're going to keep on moving. And just the joy in listening to this father's interview, that was one of the best interviews that I've heard in this program is hearing how he felt about himself, how he felt about his daughter and how they were growing and learning together.

[B]

That's so special. Paul, do you have the hard quantitative metrics?

[C]

Yeah, I mean, we do quite a bit of measuring, particularly at the follow ups and we do focus on things like the quality of the co parenting relationship, anything from preventing intimate partner violence to just being sort of warm and supportive of each other. We also focus on the parenting relationship and sort of how they're feeling about themselves as parents, but also how they are actually parenting, you know, or at least based on their own self report. We previous sort of versions of the, of the program we did videotaped parent child interaction to code the quality of those relationships. So our goal really is to either improve the quality of the co parenting relationship if they are having a lot of challenges or prevent the development of problems so that down the road they're able to manage that relationship regardless. And in a way, I mean, it's always, it's hard as a, as someone who works with these couples to not be a little bit invested in their relationship, staying together as a romantic relationship. But honestly, you know, when I think about it, you know, sort of more broadly than that, it is very gratifying as a, as a provider to see them find ways to parent apart if they're able to do that successfully.

[B]

Renitha Paul, thank you so much for sharing the work that you do and your expertise. But more than that, thank you for the work that you're doing for families in Chicago. It's just such incredibly important and powerful work.

[C]

Well, thanks for the opportunity to talk about our work.

[D]

Absolutely. Thank you for having us.

[A]

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