‘Having Dad near makes children happy…… in any language!’ Presenter Lucrecia Oliva Written byLucrecia Oliva and Cristina Pebaque

“Father’s involvement has been shown in research to have the potential to impact child development, child survival and health, and the child’s emerging capacity to become an effective parent for the next generation.” Research reviewed for the Public Health Agency of Canada, Population Health Fund Project: Father Involvement for Healthy Child Outcomes: Partners Supporting Knowledge Development and Transfer, April 10, 2007.

The role of fathers ….has changed overtime (Historical context in a nutshell)  The way it was  Women could do everything…but…  The way it is (Changing societal expectations of men and fathers)  Legal context  Working with diversity (cultural, socioeconomic, education,…)

Context to the work we do Commitment to the Rights of Children Social Inclusion Cultural diversity Social justice and empowerment

Convention on the Rights of the Child…… ‘states that all children regardless of race, type of family, religion and ability should not be treated unfairly ‘ ‘Human rights apply to all age groups; children have the same general human rights as adults. But children are particularly vulnerable and so they also have particular rights that recognize their special need for protection’ UNICEF Convention on the Rights of Children

Social Inclusion The Australian Government’s vision of a socially inclusive society is one in which all Australians feel valued and have the opportunity to participate fully in the life of our society.

Social Inclusion in practice It means,  Addressing the personal and the systemic  Acting as enablers rather than taking control  Advocating for social change and social justice  Working with the knowledge and strengths people bring with them  Working from the perspective of fathers and families not our own  Delivering inclusive services (fathers, father like figures, grandfathers,…)  Using parameters which are as diverse as our clients

Cultural Diversity ‘ Culture takes diverse forms across time and space… …… cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature. In this sense, it is the common heritage of humanity and should be recognized and affirmed for the benefit of present and future generations’ General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization at its thirty-first session on 2 November 2001 Article 1

The impact of migration on families  Excitement and hopes/Loss and grief  Safety and wellbeing/Vulnerability  Prosperity/Social exclusion and poverty  Certainty/Uncertainty  Role reversal  Intergenerational tension and conflict/ Opportunity

The impact of migration on men  Role reversal  Disempowerment  Loss of status and identity  Confusion

Cases studies ‘Dads and Kids Nights’ in partnership with Schools: Personal: Child found this event as an opportunity to invite his dad that haven’t seen for long time. ‘Food safety & healthy lunchbox ideas for you and your family’ resource in partnership with Refugee Health Community: A resource booklet for men and their families about food safety and healthy lunchboxes

Cases studies ‘Keeping Children Safe’ group work in partnership with Fairfield MRC facilitated by our bi-lingual facilitators Language: groups facilitated in different languages i.e.: Arabic ‘Story time with dads’ in partnership with Learning Links and Fairfield libraries. Early literacy: encourage dads to read, play and tell stories in their own language.

Why is working with dads in any language important……..  To utilise all human resources available to support children’s development  To encourage fathers to establish and maintain ongoing relationships with children in their own right  To provide positive role models to future dads  To uphold values and cultural practices as a basic human right  To engage fathers in keeping children safe at home and in communities  To encourage dads to interact with their kids freely, to play, and learn together  To explore alternative ways to communicate and resolve conflict  To avoid further alienation and increase participation with family and communities

The success of what we do relies entirely on the quality of our relationships; be it with peers, fathers, children, families, groups, or communities.

For more information please contact: Lucrecia Oliva Phone: (02) 9781