recovering fatherhood – how 'absent' fathers can reconnect with their children

recovering fatherhood | help and info

help and info

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organisations

Boys2MEN Project
Providence House
26 Kilburn Place
London NW6
Tel: 020 7604 5960
E-mail: info@coram-b2m.org.uk
Website: www.coram.org.uk/what-we-do/boys2MEN/
London based project designed to help boys in their transitions from boyhood to manhood and provide mentoring and group support for boys, young men and fathers.

Care For the Family
Garth House
Leon Avenue
Cardiff CF15 7RG
Tel: 02920 810800
E-mail: mail@cff.org.uk
Website: www.careforthefamily.org.uk/dads
Promotes strong family life and helps those hurting because of family breakdown. There is lots of useful info on their website for dads, with top tips, newsletters, articles and 'A Rough Guide for Dads'.

Families Need Fathers
134 Curtain Road
London EC2A 3AR
Tel: 020 7613 5060 (9.30am - 4.30pm Mon-Fri)
Helpline: 08707 607 49 (6 pm - 10 pm Mon-fri)
E-mail: fnf@fnf.org.uk
Website: www.fnf.org.uk
Aims to keep children and parents in contact and seeks to obtain, for children, the best possible blend of both parents in their lives. Believes that parents should be of equal status in law.

The Fatherhood Institute
9 Nevill Street
Abergavenny NP7 5AA
Tel: 0845 634 1328
E-mail: mail@fatherhoodinstitute.org or
Website: www.fatherhoodinstitute.org
The UK's fatherhood think-tank previously known as 'Father's Direct', helps to shape the government's family policy and lobbies for changes in law, policy and practice to dismantle barriers to fathers' care of infants and children. There is an online shop with lots of useful resources.

UK Men's Movement
122 Holehouse Drive
Glasgow G13 3TF
Tel: 0141 959 4194
Men's rights movement, based in Scotland. It's core belief is that the last 30 years has seen a general denigration of men, a reduction in employment prospects for men, state support for lone motherhood, and the elimination of many men's rights, especially within the family. They also believe that gender issues, such as the gender pay gap, are invalid. They believe it is of benefit to society that women be 'financially dependant' on their husbands, and that economic activity is not, nor should it be, to ensure pay parity between males and females. Perhaps they would like to revert to the Victorian era when women had no legal rights and could not inherit or possess anything without it becoming ipso facto their husband's.

Sowing Seeds
PO Box 1
Chorlton
Manchester M21 9ZB
Tel: 0161 374 9875
E-Mail: sowingseedsmanchester@hotmail.co.uk
Website: www.sowingseeds.co.uk
Establishes workshops/forums for black men/fathers to gather and share experiences and discuss issues relevant to successful parenting. Website has a download of forthcoming events in the Manchester area.

Working With Men
Unit K401 Tower Bridge Business Complex
100 Clements Road
London SE16 4DG
Tel: 020 7237 5353
E-mail: info@workingwithmen.org
Website: www.workingwithmen.org.uk
Aims to develop and implement support projects that benefit the development of men and boys, seeks to raise awareness of issues impacting upon men and boys in addition to trying to gain a greater understanding of the underlying issues behind male behaviour.

websites

Baby Father Initiative – Barnardo's
www.barnardos.org.uk/babyfather
Run by Barnardo's and the Babyfather Alliance, the project aims to encourage responsible parenting among black males in the UK, in particular those who are separated from their children.

ChildcareLink
www.childcarelink.gov.uk
www.scottishchildcare.gov.uk
A government funded website and national information helpline (0800 234 6346) providing childcare and early years information. Can provide information on local parenting courses.

Dad Café
www.dadcafe.co.uk
A British site for the father-to-be or new father, to have the virtual equivalent of a relaxing drink. Great site for fun quotes on fatherhood and useful info and advice on all things dad – namely changing a nappy, making a model airplane, tips for making better home videos and encouraging good behaviour. Great stuff.

Dad Info
www.dad.info
Plenty of useful information about all aspects of being a father from becoming a dad for the very first time and getting ready for the big day to questions of money, relationships, ideas for entertaining your children and facing the problems of separation.

Dads UK – A Resources for Fathers
http://dads-uk.co.uk/main/news.php
News and information site dedicated to giving a voice and support to all people interested in fathers' rights. This includes grandparents, uncles, aunts and anyone who has some kind of involvement with the father. If you're going through a custody battle, you're a single father, a bereaved husband or a gay father then get in touch for some advice from men who are, or have been through similar situations.

Fathers 4 Justice
www.fathers-4-justice.org/f4
Although Matt O'Connor's controversial campaign ended on Sept 5th 2008, the forum will remain open until August 2009.

Fathers For Life
http://fathersforlife.org/
Canadian site that promotes fathers within families. The site has loads of information, news and articles on all aspects of being a father and being a man.

Fathers Reunited
http://www.fathersreunited.com
Website that gives relatives who have lost contact with each other the opportunity to make contact again. The site features a searchable database of contacts where basic registration is free but you do have to pay a small fee for more.

Great Dad
www.greatdad.com/
Lots of really useful info for all dads everywhere including those who are expecting and single dads. The site features an Ask and Answer and a regular Newsletter. Other sections include books to read to your kids, shopping, sleeping, baby names and toilet training (for the infants!).

The Men's Bibliography
http://mensbiblio.xyonline.net/
A comprehensive bibliography of writing on men, masculinities, gender, and sexualities.

Teenage Dads
www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southeast/sites/teendads/
Young mothers always get mentioned, but what about the dads? Rhondda-based Teenage Mams invited their partners to write for their magazine. Find out what they have to say. You can join the messageboard to talk about teenage parenthood.

When Lads Become Dads
www.guardian.co.uk/society/2006/jun/10/childrensservices.familysupplement
We regard them as so feckless and expect so little of them, that we don't even know how many teenage fathers there are in Britain. Yvonne Roberts meets three.

reading

	Daddy Needs a Drink by Robert Wilder (Delta 2007) An Irreverent look at parenting from a dad who truly loves his kids, even when they're driving him nuts. Get this book
	Family Court Hell by Mark Harris (Pen Press Publishers, 2007) Harrowing story of frustration and determination as the author battled for access rights to his young daughters following the bitter break up of his marriage. What should have been a 'simple child access dispute' somehow resulted in this innocent family man effectively being criminalized by the family courts, resulting in two stretches in Pentonville Prison. Harris eventually took his case public and the international campaign for fathers' rights took off-with the formation of Fathers 4 Justice. This is a shocking story that deserves to be told. Get this book
	Fatherhood: The truth by Marcus Berkmann (Vermilion, 2005) Laugh out loud Pythonesque guide to becoming a dad, Covers every dad's hopes and fears alongside some very useful and practical advice told with an eye for the truth and much humour. Get this book
	The Father's Almanac From Pregnancy to Pre-school, Baby Care to Behaviour, the Complete and Indispensable Book of Practical Advice and Ideas for… the Fun and Challenge of Fatherhood by S Adams Sullivan (Bantam Doubleday Dell, 2000) Don't let the word Almanac or wordy title of this book put you off. It's had great reviews and is a practical guide to being a dad without passing judgement. Get this book
	The Sixty Minute Father by Rob Parsons (Hodder & Stoughton, 1997) No-one was ever heard to say on their death bed, "I wish I'd spent more time at the office". And yet so often that's how we live. This practical, down-to-earth book helps fathers to see how they can seize the day, laugh more with their children, and give love without strings. Get this book
	The Sixty Minute Marriage book by Rob Parsons (Hodder & Stoughton, 1997) Wise and witty with down to earth advice for those of you going through a shaky time with your partner. Gets good reviews on Amazon and elsewhere. Get this book
	Taken Into Custody: The war against fathers, marriage, and the family by Stephen Baskerville (Cumberland House Publishing, 2007) A well-written overview of the legislation that hinders the role of men in their families. Although it is based on US government policy it will resonate with UK readers experiencing the same family court nightmare. Get this book

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