Parenting Out Loud Invites Dads to Be ‘Loud and Proud’ about Parenting Responsibilities

Workplace culture change programme Parenting Out Loud has embarked on a national Out of Home campaign, in partnership with Talon, to tackle parenting inequality, coinciding with the end of the school summer holidays.

The campaign encourages dads to be transparent - “loud and proud” - about their childcare responsibilities. Planned by out of home agency, Talon, it launched on August 26th and will run until and September 6th as children from across the country return to school.

Parenting Out Loud is live in shopping malls via JCDecaux and across select Ocean Outdoor large format digital locations in Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow.

The creative shows a father walking with his two children and features the words: “School is back. A new season. Time for more… Parenting Out Loud… where dads are loud and proud about their childcare responsibilities at work.”

It also encourages fathers to share their working dad stories on LinkedIn using the hashtag #parentingoutloud. A video filmed by Parenting Out Loud founder Elliott Rae showcasing some of the billboards and highlighting why the campaign is important can also be watched on LinkedIn.

Rae, an advocate for working dads and campaigner on mental health and masculinity, launched the Parenting Out Loud campaign in April. It aims to inspire a cultural shift and change in attitudes around the role of fathers that has persisted for generations. The campaign supports employers in building workplace cultures where working dads can be unapologetic, proud, and transparent about their childcare responsibilities.

The programme champions equal parenting and gender equality at work and home and seeks to change the way society views dads and male carers by normalising male caring and changing the narrative around fatherhood.

Research has shown that one in three working dads feel uncomfortable talking to their employer about their family commitments, yet equal parenting is key to gender equality, with around 80% of the gender pay gap attributed to the motherhood penalty.

Equal parenting is also vital for the wellbeing and happiness of fathers and their children, with research showing that positive and consistent paternal involvement in the early years results in significant positive impacts on children’s education and resilience.

Elliott Rae, founder of Parenting Out Loud, said, “Parenting Out Loud may not sound like a revolutionary act, but when fathers parent loudly at work, they help normalise male caring in the workplace and role model this behaviour for others.

“Encouraging, supporting and enabling dads to be equal parents is essential to addressing the gender pay gap, the motherhood penalty and achieving gender equality at home and at work. With this campaign, we want to encourage all dads taking responsibility for caring for their children to share their stories and help remove the stigma around male caring. Together, we can change the narrative around fatherhood in the workplace.”

Luke Willbourn, managing director - UK at Talon, said, “The Parenting Out Loud initiative is massively important, and partnering with Elliott to raise awareness of the campaign using Out of Home is a proud moment for us and for me personally as a proud and vocal working dad to two young children. His message aligns perfectly with Talon’s people-first philosophy and our mission to ensure everyone belongs at Talon.

“Belong, our DEI employee committee, works with the leadership team to shape working practices and staff wellbeing policies, and our School’s Out policy is specifically aimed at supporting working parents across the business. Parenting Out Loud’s mission to change the narrative around dads in the workplace and male carers is one we are thrilled to help spread.”