The government has released its Green Paper on Vulnerable Children, outlining problems and possible approaches to tackling child abuse in New Zealand, and wants everyone’s feedback. A special web site (www.saysomething.org.nz) has been set up, which allows people to comment on specific issues, or on the whole paper, and making a submission is a lot less tedious. The deadline for this is 28 February.
Father & Child believes that the government is genuinely interested in hearing people’s voices about this, and they have expressed that they’re keen to get more submissions from dads (or males) than they usually get.

Father & Child General Manager and founder Harald Breiding-Buss intends to step back from the Trust’s management early next year and we are looking for a new person to fill this role. It is part-time (20 hrs/wk)
and suits an active parent.

While still very small, Father & Child has had some exciting growth over the last two years with now eight staff members (all part-time) in three locations.

At this stage we are asking for Expressions of Interest before 22 January 2012. After an application and interview process we expect employment to start in mid February 2012. Harald will be available to provide training and a gradual transition.

Father & Child has five spaces available at the moment in our free correspondence parenting course for dads who find it difficult to attend other courses. The 10-module course covers child development and parenting from babies through to teenagers and can be done as a whole or in parts only. Email us for info.

The documentary ‘Sons From Afar’ was shown on Maori TV 22 October 11 at 8.30pm. Some sharp-eyed F&C members spotted a familiar logo worn by one of the stars.

Tigilau Ness wearing one of our caps

From the promo:

“New Zealand hip-hop artist, Che Fu and his father, musician Tigilau Ness, share an intimate pilgrimage to their island homeland of Niue.

Their first ever journey to the tiny pacific atoll to perform at the Niue Arts and Culture Festival has a profound and unexpected effect on their whole family.”

The video is well worth watching. It is currently available from the list in the centre of the Pakipumeka page (you may need to scroll sideways).

If you want to look like a TV star, you can get your own F&C cap from our shop.

Ross Elliott believes that there is an ‘elemental need’ for us when growing up to spend time in natural surroundings, and it is a good way for fathers to leave the cave and venture out into nature with their kids.

Diamond Harbour is a great morning or afternoon trip to take your child on because it’s cheap, involves a boat ride and lots of opportunity to explore without being too far from the city. Best of all you don’t need a car!!

The ferry is on the metrocard system, the same as the buses so it pays to get a metrocard from the bus depot in the city as it is subsidised. You can drive to the ferry, park in Lyttelton and walk down to the ferry or alternatively catch the no.28 bus which connects direct to the ferry.

Careful to ask for 3 zones as this will give you free travel for the next 2 hours. If you plan it right it will only cost $3.75 each way including the bus or $3.75 return (if you come back on the ferry within 2 hours) for you and $1.90 for your child (between the ages of 5 and 18). Pre schoolers are free!

The ferry ride is of course a highlight for the kids but the Diamond Harbour area is worthy of an hour or two exploration in itself.

There is a walkway that traverses along the top of the seacliffs in either direction with spectacular views of the harbour.

You have 2 options: turn left and walk towards Purau Bay from the Diamond Harbour wharf, or turn right and head along past the beach to the sea cliffs.

Purau Bay is about an hour each way with a nice beach, playground and picnic area at the end. You can turn around at any stage and head back to the dairy for an ice cream, or Godley House for lunch, play on the large lawn there or relax in the sun with a cold drink or coffee. There are excellent views of Purau Bay, Ripapa Island and towards the harbour entrance from this track.

Turning right from the ferry you walk west past a beach and along the cliffs the other way, about a forty minute walk to the end of the cliffs close to Church Bay.

This walk can really get hot in summer but the beach close to the wharf is sheltered, shallow and great for swimming. In winter it is a very sheltered and sunny option.

Both walks have great views of the harbour and its wildlife. Take binoculars and keep an eye out for the several species of cormorant, terns or the odd gannet fishing, and during summer keep a sharp eye out for the world’s smallest and rarest dolphin, the Hectors, swimming about inside the harbor.

They are very elusive but distinctive with their small rounded and very black dorsal fin (looks like Mickey Mouse’s ear) as they pop up for air every now and then.

White Flippered Penguins can sometimes also be seen although very hard to spot as they are the worlds smallest penguin and they are amazingly camouflaged. About all you can see is a little shy white face the size of a golf ball.

The Family Court is being reviewed by the Ministry of Justice and a consultation paper is now out and open for public submissions. See here.

Make a real difference in the community by working for Father & Child. We’re looking for a well-organised all-rounder in Christchurch to fill this position, which coordinates our local activities. For full details see here

In time for Fathers Day this year we have completed our study on fathers who raise young children with no or very little input by the children’s mother. This is a usually forgotten and quite ‘invisible’ family type that seems to engage little with the communities they live in.

For more detail and the full report, see here:

For the NZ Herald report with Auckland solo dad Daniel Philips, see

here

On September 4th we are hosting a Fathers Day fun event.
Bring your family, instruments, songs or dance and join in.
Local musicians will help blend the acts together,
low cost barbeque sausages will be available,
find fathering information and meet other parents.
Onehunga Community Centre – 83 Church Street
Call 525 1690 for queries or contributions!

Brendon was interviewed for a story on teenage dads published in the Sunday News last weekend.
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