Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Dads Matter Act of 2024”.
Dads Matter Act of 2024
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a public awareness campaign to increase awareness of the importance of father inclusion and engagement in improving overall health outcomes during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Findings
Congress finds the following:
Father engagement can play an important role in improving maternal health care, addressing maternal mortality and morbidity, and bettering the development and long-term growth of the child.
The participation of fathers during prenatal care appointments provides the mother with additional support to recognize potential pregnancy-related complications that could lead to maternal mortality and morbidity.
When fathers are involved during pregnancy appointments and milestones, mothers are 1.5 times more likely to receive prenatal care in the first trimester, which improves health outcomes for both the mother and baby.
Father support during pregnancy can help promote behavioral health of the mother.
Father engagement reduces the risks of postpartum mood and anxiety disorders and contributes to a lower likelihood of preterm birth and a healthier birthweight.
Including fathers in conversations about safe sleep guidelines and sharing guidance about infant crying and the risks of shaken baby syndrome can help reduce infant deaths.
Active support of the father during breastfeeding greatly increases the chances of successful breastfeeding, which improves the physical and mental health of the baby and the mother.
Physical contact between the father and the baby just after birth and in the months following birth has been shown to improve the health and development of the baby, improve the mental health of the father, and foster father-child bonding in the short term and long term.
Sec. 3 Increasing awareness of the importance of father inclusion and engagement in the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum process
In general— Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall carry out a public awareness campaign to increase understanding of the importance of father inclusion and engagement in improving overall health outcomes during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum, for both the mother and baby.
Requirements— The campaign under subsection (a) shall include—
messaging intended to provide information to the public about the importance of a father’s role in pregnancy and parenting;
resources and information to counter popular narratives that minimize the importance of engaged and involved fathers in pregnancy and parenting; and
resources and information that promote awareness about the impact of father inclusion on maternal and infant outcomes, including—
the importance of father-to-infant skin-to-skin contact in improving the health and development of a newborn and fostering father-child bonding in the short and long term;
the role of fathers in promoting the behavioral health of the mother;
the role of fathers in increasing the number of prenatal and postpartum appointments a mother attends;
the effects of father attendance during prenatal and postnatal appointments;
the effects of paternal postpartum depression;
the role of father support in improving rates of successful breastfeeding; and
the role of father involvement in providing the mother with additional support to recognize potential pregnancy-related complications, which could include—
preeclampsia;
peripartum cardiomyopathy;
preterm labor;
perinatal mood and anxiety disorders;
pregnancy loss or miscarriage;
stillbirth;
high blood pressure;
cervical infections;
gestational diabetes;
placental abruption;
ectopic pregnancy; and
uterine rupture.
Sec. 4 Guidance to States on encouraging father inclusion and engagement in the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum process
In general— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall issue guidance to States that addresses how States can encourage and incentivize providers of maternity care, including hospitals, health care systems, midwifery practices, freestanding birth centers, community health centers, and other maternity care providers, and providers of health care coverage, including managed care entities, to provide training and education to health care practitioners, such as pediatricians, obstetricians, and gynecologists, about the benefits of including and engaging fathers in the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum process.
Requirements— The guidance under subsection (a) shall—
include information on how health care practitioners can—
offer peer-to-peer, father-to-father encouragement, support, and education in communities that traditionally are not inclusive of fathers;
provide fathers with information on—
what to expect before, during, and after the birth process;
how to better—
understand and support their partner throughout such process; and
serve as an advocate in her care;
recommendations and protocol relating to pregnancy, postpartum, and child care, including—
maternal, infant, and routine childhood vaccines;
maternal warning signs;
the importance of fetal movement counting;
maternal mental health and postpartum recovery;
breastfeeding practices;
health care appointments;
safe sleep practices;
skin-to-skin contact;
baby care, including safe soothing of a crying baby;
child bonding; and
early childhood development; and
screen fathers for depression and provide referrals for treatment that may positively impact child development and reduce the risk of adverse childhood experiences;
address cultural beliefs about fatherhood, a man’s role in maternal health, and families; and
reaffirm a father’s ability to play a positive and valuable role during pregnancy, birth, and early childhood development, regardless of race or ethnicity.
Sec. 5 GAO study and report
Not later than 6 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct, and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report describing the results of, a study on the effectiveness of this Act.