Perception of fathers’ involvement towards child care and development in Ekiti-State, Nigeria

Abstract

Despite that Nigeria has ratified and domesticated the Child Rights Act and other protocols that seek to protect the child, the right rights of the child are still being trampled upon by parents and other caregivers. Hence this study seeks to assess the perception of fathers towards the maintenance of socio-cultural values among the children and their involvement in the psychosocial development of the child in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State. The family-centred care theory was used to explain the importance of fathers in childcare. The study utilized a cross-sectional research design. About one hundred and forty (140) fathers were selected across six out of eleven political wards in the LGA using multistage sampling techniques. The data were collected using the questionnaire method. Findings showed that 55% of the fathers agreed and 40% strongly agreed that children who are in good relationship with their fathers were less likely to experience depression and exhibit disruptive disorder. Also, most 59% of the fathers agreed and 31% strongly agreed that father warmth and nurturance significantly predict children's moral maturity. Therefore, child welfare social workers should be responsible for the prompt action against perpetrators of child abuse and neglect.