Symposium about fatherhood.

Symposium about fatherhood.

“Fathers are too important to ignore.” With that message, the ChristenUnie organized a symposium on fatherhood on May 11, 2026, in Nieuwspoort, during the week of the family. Director of Ouders & Onderwijs Lobke Vlaming looks back: 'We must involve fathers much more actively, because that is very good for children.'

Why fatherhood was central 

The reason for the symposium was the motto ‘Involved fathers, thriving society’. In this, the ChristenUnie advocates for more attention to the role of fathers.

During the meeting, scientists, caregivers, parents and social organizations came together to discuss what the impact of involved fatherhood is, what happens when fathers are absent, and how we can better support fathers.

Lobke Vlaming, director of Ouders & Onderwijs, says: ‘In many places, people still automatically look at the mother and the father is sometimes forgotten. For example, schools often standardly call the mother when a child is sick or something has happened. And also at the consultation office, fathers sometimes experience that it is mostly the mother who is spoken to. It is important that fathers get a full role and that we become more aware of how we can do this.’ 

Valuable small moments

An important part of the symposium was the contribution of pedagogues and researchers. For example, professor Louis Tavecchio showed that fathers make a unique contribution to the development of children.

Children of involved fathers develop better and are more resilient against stress. Father involvement has a proven positive effect on school performance and self-confidence, and even small moments together (such as reading or playing) can already make a difference.

Yet the reality is that fathers are still too little involved in upbringing and education, while they often do want to.

Fathers face obstacles

There was also attention at the symposium for the obstacles fathers face. For example, conversations with fathers (for instance with a migration background) show that:

• they do not always feel seen or addressed,
• the environment does not always invite them to take an active role,
• and that negative influences or stress in the living environment can limit their involvement.

In addition, it was mentioned that schools often still automatically focus first on mothers.

What can parents learn from this?

The main lesson of the symposium is actually very practical: involved fatherhood does not need to be big or complicated.

For parents (and especially fathers), this means:

1. Being present is more important than being perfect
   It is not about how much time you have, but about attention and involvement.
2. As a father, make your voice heard at school
   Join parent meetings, ask questions and show interest. That makes a proven difference for your child.
3. Share upbringing consciously together
   Children benefit from different perspectives and styles of both parents.
4. Ask for help when needed
   Support is not only for mothers.