Our Mission: Building mental wealth, one child at a time
Our mission is to empower new dads with knowledge, tools, and wisdom to prepare their children (0-3) for lifelong mental wellness and success.
We are founded on the principle that the first three years of a child’s life are decisive in developing the thinking, feeling, and people skills that contribute to success at school, at work, and in relationships, and that dads play a critical and distinct role in building this foundation.
Through educational programs, research, advocacy, and media products, Early Engagement provides mental and psychological preparation to men as they navigate fatherhood, building mental wealth one child at a time.
Championing Fatherhood Education
“Study after study shows enormous benefits to pre-natal fatherhood education on kids’ long-term mental wellness and life outcomes— and yet there remains a lack of resources for dads. Early Engagement was founded to change that.”
—Ben Swett, Founder and Executive Director of Early Engagement
Our Vision: Democratizing Fatherhood Education
Our vision is to be a leader in the education and preparation of new dads, that they might build greater mental wealth for their children and in so doing, a better world.
We work towards this vision through our groundbreaking course offerings and StrongStart community meet-ups for dads, and through advocacy to make the presence of dads in early childhood development the norm.
Ben Swett
Founder & Executive Director of Early Engagement
After years in the corporate world, Ben’s life changed when he studied RIE before the birth of his daughter. What he learned changed his life.
The question that emerged: “why isn’t it the norm for every new dad to learn this stuff?”
Over the past two decades he has dedicated his career to helping dads raise healthier and more resilient kids. Early Engagement courses have been distilled from decades of RIE practice and instruction, collaboration with luminaries across early childhood development and public health, and the collective wisdom of a vibrant community of engaged dads.