Fatherhood Institute 1215405 183823492 2008-01-12T11:58:12Z Djmackenzie 6021451 moved [[Fathers Direct]] to [[Fatherhood Institute]]: On 7 January 2008, the Fatherhood Institute was created as "a successor organisation to Fathers Direct"; therefore the organisation has effectively changed its name. '''Fathers Direct''' is a UK national information centre on fatherhood. It is a government-sponsored [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2004-10-11.189323.h] charity (reg. no. 1075104) founded in 1999 [http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199899/ldhansrd/vo991102/text/91102-24.htm] by professionals with expertise in social work, family policy, business development and communications. Fathers Direct aims to create a society that: * gives all children a strong and positive relationship with their fathers * supports co-operative parenting * supports both men and women as both carers and earners Fathers Direct's core principles are to foster: * the well-being and protection of children * gender equality * support for parents, as specified in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child * support for families most in need * supportive relationships within families, particularly between mothers and fathers * support by other family members, whether or not their relationship to the child is biological * recognition of the wide diversity of families in the United Kingdom and the many different ways in which families organise care of children * co-operation with organisations advocating for children, for women, for men, for gender equality and for the socially excluded Fathers Direct works in Scotland in partnership with [[Children in Scotland]] and in Wales in partnership with [[Children in Wales]]. Fathers Direct published the following statistics in 2004 [http://www.fathersdirect.com/news/?page=news&id=691&sub=29]: *In separated and [[single parent]] households 55% of children see their [[father]]s less than monthly, 33% have no contact at all. *12.5% never knew their father (Smith M (2004) Relationships of children in stepfamilies with their non-resident fathers, Family Matters Vol 67 pp28-35) *Seventy-five per cent of non-resident fathers would like to see more contact occurring (Smyth B & Ferro A (2002) 'When the difference is night and day: parent-child contact after separation', Family Matters Vol 63 pp 54-59). *In one study of cohabiting parents, 47% of the fathers had either been their children's primary carers or had taken substantial responsibility for their care before separation - yet none had been awarded through the Courts, or had felt able to obtain through non-court agreements, primary care of their children after separation. (Lewis C, Papcosta A & Warin J (2002) Cohabitation, separation & fatherhood. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation) [[David Bartlett (social worker)|David Bartlett]], a founder of Fathers Direct, also founded the [[Gender and Child Welfare Network]]. ==See also== *[[Fathers' rights movement in the UK]] *[[Parenting]] ==External links== *[http://www.fathersdirect.com Official website] [[Category:Charities based in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Family and parenting issues groups in the United Kingdom]] {{socio-stub}}