Dads Matter Act of 2025

This bill aims to include dads more in pregnancy, birth, and the months after, to improve health for moms and babies. It tells the federal health department to run a national awareness campaign about how fathers’ support can help, like doing skin-to-skin with the baby, supporting the mother’s mental health, encouraging prenatal and postpartum checkups, and helping spot warning signs such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. It also highlights how involved fathers can reduce risks like preterm birth, low birthweight, and postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, and can boost breastfeeding success and safe infant care and sleep.

The bill also tells the federal health department to guide states on how to train doctors and nurses to include fathers, share clear information with dads about what to expect, and offer peer support. It encourages screening fathers for depression and addressing cultural beliefs about fatherhood, with the goal of better outcomes for families. A federal study will later check if these steps worked.

• Who is affected: fathers, pregnant and postpartum mothers, babies, hospitals and clinics, and health plans.
• What changes: a public campaign on father involvement; training and tools for health workers to include dads; information for fathers on pregnancy, birth, recovery, infant care, and safe sleep; and depression screening for fathers with referrals.
• When: state guidance within 1 year; national awareness campaign within 2 years; an effectiveness report within 6 years.