Fathering The Future Fever Infects Wellington, Auckland, Nelson
The death of Laurie O’Reilly hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm for his mission, or the forum he created to foster it.
After the success of the Fathering the Future Forum in Christchurch last March, efforts are underway in Auckland, Wellington, Nelson and possibly other cities to organise fathering forums.
In Wellington, organisers have got together with local Father&Child Trust members to evaluate whether a local Trust should be developed in tandem with the forum to make sure that the results of the forum are put in practice and that support structures for dads are created.
The original plan to hold the forum on Fathers Day in September was given up and another day in October is now envisaged.
The original plan for another forum with an international focus to be held in Christchurch, on Fathers Day has been cancelled. Another victim of recent changes was the “Fathers Who Care:Partners in Parenting Trust” which was floated by the late previous Children’s Commissioner Laurie O’Reilly as a way of giving his project by the same name a permanent structure.
Originally this Trust was planned with a line-up of high-profile Trustees to attract corporate funding.
Instead, a different Trust was formed, the “Fathering the Future Trust”, with only three Trustees.
Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce Chairman Peter Townsend, Kate O’Reilly and Family Lawyer Dominic Flatlet’)
According to Forum organiser Janine Rogers, Fathering the Future does not plan to give any actual support to fathers or fathering. “All we do is: bring people together to talk”, she said.
In Christchurch working groups have now been organised to keep talking, develop recommendations and possibly action plans.
Themes of these working groups are along the themes of the workshops that were held during the forum: fathers in the media, fathers in the parenting role, fathers in early childhood and others.
“While I support the idea of bringing people together to talk I wonder whether it isn’t time to act”, says Harald Breiding-Buss, Community Development Worker for the Father&Child Trust.
“I would argue that the problems are known and have been discussed in length among people working in the area already and even on a national level. What is needed is properly funded support facilities for dads and practical help for parenting agencies and institutions to become more father-inclusive.
‘There is a need, however, for a proper conference with high quality speakers to educate the social service sector and the legal sector about those problems and about possible solutions.
Organising such a conference would need a lot of time and effort.
