This article deals with civil society organizations active in the field of family policy and demographic issues in contemporary Russia, using Michel Foucault’s concepts of biopolitics and governmentality. More specifically, so called “daddy-schools” that have emerged in and around Saint Petersburg since 2008, are studied, using interviews and documents. The analysis shows that the organizations work as a complement to the state but have also been able to influence policy, alter legislation and challenge the established assumptions and governmentality of the Russian state concerning parenthood, the “good” father and how to deal with the ongoing demographic crisis and increase fertility.