By Kieran Anders, Dad Matters Lead, Home-Start UK
Dad Matters has 28 sites across the UK and will be expanding during 2026 after receiving funding from the 1001 Critical Days Foundation.
At Dad Matters, powered by Home-Start, we’ve always believed that dads aren’t just an optional extra in those early days – they’re an essential part of the story.
One of the most powerful tools helping us bring dads into that story is the Newborn Behavioural Observations (NBO), developed by the Brazelton Centre UK. More and more of our team across Home-Start are now trained to deliver the NBO, and it’s becoming a cornerstone of how we support new fathers in the first 1001 critical days.
Why NBO Training Matters for Our Staff
Our coordinators and volunteers often meet dads at a time when everything feels new, overwhelming and full of pressure to “get it right.” The NBO gives our staff a gentle, structured way to slow things down and really tune into what a baby is telling us.
It helps them:
- Notice and name a baby’s cues in real time
- Explain how newborns communicate comfort, stress, curiosity and connection
- Build dads’ confidence by showing them the strengths they already have
- Support early bonding by showing the baby’s behaviour as less mysterious and more meaningful
The result? Dads feel seen, included and competent – often after just a single session.
Why It’s a Game-Changer for Dads?
For many dads we meet, understanding their baby is the moment where everything clicks, and this often comes from the NBO or one of our other touch points where we utilise the NBO elements to engage and educate dads.
Instead of standing on the sidelines, they get to experience a hands-on, empowering introduction to their baby’s behaviour. It turns “I don’t know what to do” into “I understand what my baby needs.”
Dads tell us that after learning more about how their baby communicates they feel:
- More connected to their baby
- More confident in responding to cues
- More equal in the parenting partnership
- Less anxious about doing things “wrong”
“It’s great to know that there are different ways I can settle my baby when they are crying; this really helped me to realise that getting to know how she liked to be comforted was the most important thing”
And because the NBO focuses on strengths – not deficits – it fits perfectly with Dad Matters’ approach: encouraging fathers, building attachment, and giving them a voice in those early, crucial weeks.
Strengthening Our Work in the 1001 Critical Days
Our growing use of the NBO is also part of the wider momentum around father-inclusive practice. With support through the 1001 Critical Days Foundation funding, Dad Matters is expanding across the Home-Start UK network, training more coordinators and reaching more families where dad’s role might otherwise be overlooked.
This support is helping us embed tools like the NBO more consistently across local Home-Start teams, making sure dads everywhere get the same chance to feel confident, included and connected.
“The NBO has really given me the core language and values that we need to speak to dads in the early days. Being able to keep the baby at the centre of the conversation, and talk about the baby as an important family member, while also offering support and information has been a unique and often crucial communication aid.” – DM Coordinator
Our Impact So Far
We’re already seeing the difference. You can read more about our outcomes, results, and real-life stories in the Dad Matters Impact Report:
The early days of parenthood can be hard, but they’re also full of potential – and when dads understand their baby’s behaviour from the start, that potential grows. Thanks to the support the Brazelton Centre UK and the continued expansion of Dad Matters, we’re helping more fathers feel ready, supported and deeply connected to their newborns.
If you’d like to learn more about Dad Matters or the ways we’re using the NBO in local areas, feel free to get in touch. www.dadmatters.org.uk
