Abstract:  While multiple Western European countries have introduced leave policies that set aside well‐paid leave for fathers—policies expected to support more involved fatherhood—post‐socialist Central and Eastern European countries were slower to follow. The 2010 Slovak fathers’ leave policy reform was an early regional exception in granting fathers 28 weeks of high leave benefits, not transferable to mothers. The reform provides a unique opportunity to explore the extent to which such policies may foster involved fatherhood in a post‐socialist context characterized by practices, individual attitudes, and societal norms geared towards fathers’ economic provision rather than hands‐on childcare. I draw on a three‐dimensional conceptualization of paternal involvement, entailing engagement, accessibility, and responsibility, and a combination of methods: qualitative (38 interviews with fathers and mothers) and quantitative (unique administrative microdata). My qualitative analysis shows that fathers’ leave‐taking can stimulate greater engagement and accessibility, but brings about less change in fathers’ responsibility for children. My quantitative analysis reveals further limits to the policy’s potential for fostering fathers’ involvement: A considerable proportion of fathers were excluded from using the policy, and among those eligible, fathers with lower‐class markers were less likely to use it.

Keywords:  Central and Eastern Europe; involved fatherhood; leave policy for fathers; Slovakia

Published:   18 February 2026

Issue:   Vol 14 (2026): Involved Fatherhood in European Post-Socialist Societies (In Progress)