BKKBN: Children with actively involved fathers have better social competence

The Ministry of Population and Family Development/National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN) has stated that children whose fathers are actively involved in parenting tend to have better social and emotional competence.

Budi Setiyono, Secretary of the Ministry/BKKBN, explained that the benefits of a father’s presence are evident in education, citing research by William H. Jeynes. A meta-analysis of 66 studies found that father involvement positively correlates with children’s academic achievement.

“Children who feel their father’s support and involvement tend to have better learning outcomes compared to those who do not receive similar engagement,” Budi said in Jakarta on Monday.

He noted that researchers have spent years trying to understand the extent of a father’s influence on child development. The meta-analysis, which combined 66 studies involving over 154,000 children, found a significant relationship between father involvement and children’s social-emotional development.

These findings also reinforce the results of a previous systematic review (A. Sarkandi et al, 2008), which showed that 22 out of 24 studies reviewed demonstrated a positive impact of father involvement on children’s mental health, social behaviour, and adaptability.

Budi stressed that the father’s role also supports the development of quality human resources through three main pillars: family health, character education, and mental and spiritual resilience.

“Therefore, on the momentum of this year’s National Family Day, we want to emphasise the importance of a father’s active involvement in child-rearing. Through this commemoration, the government also continues to strengthen policies that support families and expand access to basic services, towards the realisation of quality Indonesian families,” he said.