Daddy power

Joe Swash meets young fathers to discuss the highs, lows and challenges of raising kids

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When Joe Swash became a dad at the age of 25, he felt “vulnerable, under-prepared” and ignored by society.

To make matters worse, Joe lost his own father when he was just 11 and had no role model to guide him while he was raising baby Harry, now 17, with his former partner Emma Sophocleous.

Now 43 and with six children in his blended family with his wife Stacey Solomon, Joe wants to highlight the lack of support for young fathers who are trying to raise their children.

“I’ve got six kids that I look after,” says Joe. “Being a dad is a really big part of my life. And I remember being so vulnerable, so under-prepared for my first child, not really knowing anything, not really having anywhere to go for some help. My dad wasn’t around. There were no charities geared towards young dads.”