Trust to Hold “Experts” Meeting

The Father&Child Trust has invited men from all around New Zealand, who are involved in fatherhood initiatives, to a meeting in Christchurch on March 27.

This includes people who run or are setting up father’s groups in Auckland, Wellington, Palmerston North, Christchurch and Nelson. The meeting aims to develop a national network under a common name with a Board of people with great expertise.

This Board will develop programmes, initiatives and resources, and help with setting up groups all around the country by devising a structure that these groups can use to get started.

Among the projects the Trust is envisaging at the moment and hoping to get support for from the meeting are:

♦ development of resources for new fathers and fathers with “special needs” (single dads, non-custodial fathers, housedads etc.)

♦ development of a training programme for “fatherhood teachers” – people who will work in the community to promote father-friendliness.

♦ starting radio programmes on fathering on local community access radio stations. The Board could facilitate an exchange of material between these programmes.

♦ working on a representation for fathers on a national level that will take part in consultation with government and its agencies.

The Father&Child Trust strongly believes that fatherhood initiatives should be community based and in conjunction with existing social service organisations.

Why Dads?