They Call Me Dad is a Movember funded project that aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (GBTQ) dads, intended dads, and those who identify as dads. The multi-year project is led by Best Beginnings. 

Best Beginnings believes parents and caregivers of all backgrounds have the right to high-quality support and information to help look after their own and their child’s mental and physical health and to foster strong parent child relationships. 

They Call Me Dad will collate and identify the experiences of the GBTQ+ community and produce resources to address the specific issues faced during the journey into parenthood. We will create a series of inclusive resources across both the Best Beginnings and Baby Buddy channels to help ensure GBTQ+ dads have the confidence they need to thrive as parents.

 

They Call Me Dad project aims:

• research current mental health resources and identify the key issues affecting GBTQ+ parents through family day workshops and events 
• provide support through GBTQ+ partners and mental health partners  
• produce resources addressing mental health inequalities of GBTQ+ parents – including up to 15 films and video diaries on the birthing, surrogacy and adoption journey to expand Baby Buddy's content for GBTQ+ parents  
• improve the support GBTQ+ parents receive in the healthcare system by working with academic researchers to co-produce resources for professionals 
  
  

They Call Me Dad evaluation:

To make sure our content is impactful and relevant, we are asking dads, prospective dads (and anyone interested) to help evaluate the content we have made so far. This evaluation is to support Best Beginnings and our funders, to understand the reach and impact of the resources. It is also an exclusive opportunity to view the films we have made six months ahead of general release.

They Call Me Dad partners:

• Freddy McConnell
  • Trans dad and Journalist, whose birthing story was the subject of the documentary ‘Seahorse’
    
    
• Michael and Wes Johnson-Ellis
  • Two dad’s on a mission to help raise awareness of same-sex parenting and help normalise life for modern families. Founders of My Surrogacy Journey® and Two Dads UK
    
    
• Matt Taylor-Roberts: Managing Director of Proud 2 B Parents, an organisation run by and for LGBT+ parents/carers and their children and 'Dadda' via adoption
  
  
• Mark Williams
  • Founder of International Fathers’ Mental Health Day
     
• Scott Mair
  • Founder PMH Support (Paternal Mental Health)
    
    
• Swansea University
  • Academic researcher Dr. Kate Ellis-Davies
    
    

Please read the They Call Me Dad literature reviews on our Resources and Evaluations page.