LAUSR

Purpose: Today's social support systems for parents of preterm infants tend to pay more attention to mothers than fathers. As a father also plays a critical role in caring for a preterm infant, there is a need to advance understanding of paternal concerns and needs about social supports that should better support fathers. Design and Methods: Interviews were conducted with 18 parents of preterm infants (i.e., 10 mothers and 8 fathers) who have been discharged from the NICU to home. All interviews were audio‐recorded and subsequently transcribed verbatim for analysis. Results: The fathers' primary resources are healthcare professionals, their partners, and peer fathers of preterm infants. The fathers expressed various social support needs associated with informational, belonging, and emotional supports. Conclusions: It is recommended that a social support system be customized accordingly to better accommodate paternal needs. Practice Implications: Healthcare professionals may refer to the study results in designing the educational materials for fathers of preterm infants. HIGHLIGHTSThe fathers’ primary resources are healthcare professionals, their partners, and peer fathers of preterm infants.The fathers expressed various informational, belonging, and emotional supports.The advanced understanding of the paternal needs and concerns can contribute to providing better family‐centered care.