Letter to Frank Field – a family approach to child poverty?

11 July 2010

Photo of Frank Field MPI have written to Frank Field in response to his speech about fathers and child poverty. I have copied it to Iain Duncan-Smith and Nick Clegg.

In summary:

  • Child poverty is a family function, not just an issue between a child and a “primary carer”. The ability of adults in the family to earn and to care and to cooperate with each other all have a critical influence on the child.
  • In the UK, all supports to family assume that a child in poverty has only one parent even in the case where two parents are sharing things 50/50. In Australia a child can have two single parents, both supported in their contribution to the child’s life.
  • There are strong aspirations in families to build on – for fathers to be close to their children, for mothers to continue a role outside the home, for parents to live cooperatively.

Dear Frank Field, Continue reading Letter to Frank Field – a family approach to child poverty?

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Jon Davies, CEO, to leave Families Need Fathers

25 June 2010

Jon Davies stands beside a vanquished Superman.Jon Davies is leaving Families Need Fathers. He writes:

After almost four years taking FNF from a little known and often misunderstood charity to something approaching respectability it is time to move! I have been planning this for some time but my Damascene moment came when I saw three and a half out of four of our policy demands in the coalition programme. ‘Leave while they’re still applauding’ as some now long forgotten music hall comedian once said.

As CEO of Families Need Fathers Continue reading Jon Davies, CEO, to leave Families Need Fathers

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The struggles of single parents in UK

19 January 2010

I was talking to a divorced single father the other day.  I know all the theory about the difficulties that single parents face (I lack the direct experience, being neither divorced nor separated) but being faced by the reality of a single case sometimes has more power than the theory.  And I was . . . → Read More: The struggles of single parents in UK

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Nick Clegg gives speech on family and fatherhood

27 July 2009

Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats, gave a speech on the family on 8 July at Relate.

He said that it was important to support family relationships of all kinds and in all family formations.  He talked about the need at the present time to support relationships under stress from unemployment, repossession . . . → Read More: Nick Clegg gives speech on family and fatherhood

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Interesting on-line conversation about parental separation and child poverty

20 July 2009

My last blog is the first blog of mine that has stimulated discussion on-line, with particularly insightful comment by Karen Woodall who leads the Centre for Separated Families.  I am so excited about this that all I want to do in my blog this week is recommend that people read the comments on . . . → Read More: Interesting on-line conversation about parental separation and child poverty

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The fatherhood agenda going forward

5 January 2009

Eight things I think should change….

….to create a stronger expectation of and support for fatherhood.

Government is making good progress in some areas of policies and services – early years, work with the most vulnerable families in the community, and promotion of involvement by schools of fathers in their children’s learning.

But . . . → Read More: The fatherhood agenda going forward

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