The Healthy Fathering Collaborative defines a healthy father as a father* who:

• plans to have a baby at the best time for his family;
• attends prenatal health care appointments;
• participates in the birth of his child; 
• is present at the hospital discharge;  
• arranges for his child's car seat; 
• supports his child's mother in breastfeeding; 
• changes diapers;
• makes sure his child is put safely to sleep;
• seeks support when he is struggling with worries after the birth of a new child;
• plays with his child; 
• reads and interacts with his child;
• nurtures and financially supports his child; 
• eats well, exercises and teaches his child nutrition and healthy activities; 
• talks to his child about healthy sexuality, appropriate touch and healthy relationships; 
• promotes and role models nonviolence and respect for others; 
• is actively involved in his child's education; 
• knows his child's friends and activities; 
• listens to his child; 
• cooperatively parents with his child's mother and other caregivers; 
• nurtures his own emotional, mental and physical health, role modeling healthy behaviors for his child;
• nurtures his own spiritual health and support his child's search for spiritual guidance and meaning.

* We embrace fathers and father figures of all types - biological, foster, adoptive and step fathers along with male relatives and adult male mentors.

Healthy Fathering Collaborative of Greater Cleveland, ©2011