Gallego Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Encourage Fatherhood Engagement

Gallego Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Encourage Fatherhood Engagement

WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03), a member of the Congressional Dads Caucus, introduced the Dads Matter Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation to improve maternal and child health outcomes through increased father engagement.

"We know that when dads are involved early on, everyone in the family is better off," said Rep. Gallego. "When my daughter Isla was born, I took time off because I knew those early days were critical. Today, I'm proud to introduce legislation that will encourage and support more early engagement from fathers."

Studies have found that fathers' engagement in the pre- and post-natal periods improves maternal health, leads to better birth outcomes, and strengthens the bonds between dads and their children. To that end, the Dads Matter Act would:

• Direct HHS 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 the postpartum period.

• Direct HHS to issue guidance to states to encourage and incentivize maternity care providers to provide training and education to health care professionals about the benefits of including and engaging fathers in the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum process.

• Direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to submit a report to Congress that describes the results and effectiveness of this legislation.

The Dads Matter Act was introduced in the Senate by U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Marco Rubio (R-FL).

"Georgia's maternal mortality rate is a crisis that we must address with every tool at our disposal. That includes redoubling our efforts to uplift the role of fathers in keeping their family healthy during pregnancy and early childhood," said Senator Reverend Warnock. "Now is the time to spread awareness about the critical role of fathers in improving maternal health outcomes and creating thriving families and communities."

Full text of the legislation can be found HERE.