The NZ Father&Child Society
had its
first face-to-face meeting in Wellington on April 18th, during the
fathers forum.
Leaders of fathers groups from all over the country, including
the Father&Child Trusts in Christchurch, Wellington, Dunedin and
Palmerston North, got together to breathe life into the NZ
Father&Child Society, which was created late last year. Like the
national bodies of organisations like ParentsCentre, Playcentre or Toy
Libraries, the Society was formed to provide the back-up support for
local groups, and coordinate the extension of successful local
programmes on to national level. “One reason why there aren’t a lot of
fathers groups around is because the guys simply don’t know how and
where to start”, says Harald Breiding-Buss, who was appointed National
Coordinator at the meeting. “The Father&Child Society is able to
help with every step along the way, starting with getting a group
together in the first place, providing a suggested constitution, tips
where to find funding, and what sort of initiatives and programmes are
likely to be successful. Fathers who want to form a group now no longer
have to start from scratch all by themselves.”
In the long term, the Society aims to make “Father&Child” a
household name and hopes to establish local groups at least in most of
the cities. A lot of the discussion during the first meeting also
focused on establishing a national resource centre on fatherhood, which
would become a central information hub for both, fathers groups and
other organisations and individuals.
“Most institutions are not very father-friendly, because there is a
lack of fathers getting involved in these organisations. And the fewer
men are involved, the least attractive fathers find them and the least
likely they are to get involved. It’s a catch 22.”, says Harald
Breiding-Buss
“What is starting to work well at a local level is that fathers groups
enter into a partnership with these organisations and supplement their
programmes. Talks at ante-natal classes, for example, or referrals of
father volunteers to Plunket’s “Tots and Toddler” programme. We don’t
need to reinvent parent support and parent education. It’s all there.
It just needs to change to include fathers as well as mothers.”
Perhaps the greatest achievement so far is the emerging cooperation
between fathers groups and a sense of a new movement gaining momentum.
But there is still a long way to go.
“There is no doubt that in terms of numbers we are at the very
beginning. But we find that dads are getting involved in the
Father&Child Trust, for example, that would not have gotten
involved in community work otherwise.”
The cooperation between all the main fathers groups is crucial
especially where things need to change on a national level.
“Fathers feel discriminated by the Family Court because their viewpoint
is simply not represented. Individuals sometimes kick up a big fuss
because they have been treated badly, but as long as they are fighting
as individuals at a local level, their voice is not being heard where
it counts.”
Nelson fathers’ group leader Philip Chapman was elected president, a
move much celebrated by the local media. “Nelson Man Becomes Top
Dad” was a headline in the Nelson Evening Mail. In an interview
he stressed the need to change the prevailing focus from a “primary
caregiver” concept to joint parenting.
Wellington Father&Child Trust coordinator Mike Wignall was elected
vice-president; Aaron Williamson, community worker with the
Christchurch Father&Child Trust, became secretary and Rene Smit,
Dunedin Father&Child Trust coordinator, was elected treasurer.
The other committee members are: Warwick Pudney, director of Auckland’s
“Man Alive” centre; Christchurch “Caring Fathers” group coordinator Don
Rowlands; independent social and economic researcher Paul Callister;
Massey University’s Director of the Institute for Public Policy
Evaluation Stuart Birks; Auckland “Shore Fathers” convenor Craig Davis,
as well as Kapiti solo dad Rob Thompson and “WellingMen” network leader
Peter Crosland.
The Society’s headquarters remain in Christchurch for the time being
and as long as funds are very limited, but with a view to shift them to
Wellington eventually.
