Father & Child Magazine Issue #27
Separation: please remain calm; Photo profile: Hugh Joughin; Daddy’s in a coma; Gametime; Our man in Auckland
Contents
- Separation: Please Remain Calm: When parents separate, common sense and mature decision making can go completely out the window.
- Photo Profile: Hugh Joughin
- Daddy’s In A Coma: Hugh Joughin tells the inspiring story of a Dad who is on the long road to recovery.
- Gametime: Harald Breiding-Buss reviews some of the best computer games on the market.
- Our Man in Auckland
Chris Corlett has been through it, and offers very level headed answers to some important questions.
Editorial
Trust going strong
Things are all go here at the Trust. Our national profile continues to grow, with the corresponding increase in workload. Our co-ordinator has new part time work (this won’t affect his Father & Child position), so there are plenty of comings and goings.
All this has prompted us to look for larger premises for the new year, so if anyone knows of anything suitable out there, please let us know.
The biggest funding news of the year is the successful application (one of 33 out of a total of 171) for the S.K.I.P. programme.
We will hear a lot more about S.K.I.P. (Strategies for Kids-Information for Parents) next year, but basically it’s a programme developed by the Ministry of Social Development to promote positive parenting of our children, particularly in the first five years.
The concept of positive parenting means different thing to different people, but the more resources that are freely available to parents has got to be a move in the right direction. Improved education is key to making constructive parenting decisions, particularly for fathers, who often feel under-resourced in the realm of parenthood.
S.K.I.P. has three main strands.
National resources. Developed for community organizations, parents and caregivers, which will include things like videos, booklets, research tools, information.
Training packages. To support and educate parents.
Funding for local community initiatives.
For the Father and Child Trust, the funding will enable us to promote our own initiatives, which will focus on providing fathers with increased parenting skills. Tips to use day in and day out at the parenting coalface.
Meanwhile, the Teendads profile has also increased this year, culminating in two conferences where our very own Kori Bragg gave a presentation (check out his report on Page 18).
It is hoped that some kind of “mentoring” scheme can be implemented in due course, which will provide young fathers with a network of support. Keep and eye on the (new improved) website, and watch this space…
Hugh Joughin
