Despite some IT challenges thrown up on the day, I was very pleased with our recent annual conference and AGM in Manchester. One of our speakers, Dr Sue Whitcombe, who had already made the trip to Manchester and was due to speak on the benefits of both parents in a child’s life, unfortunately fell ill the night before and was unable to make it; we send her our best wishes. We were blessed though with our remaining speakers, Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division, Sarah Parsons of CAFCASS and Prof Ben Hine of the University of West London. For many the Q+A with Sir Andrew and Ben was the highlight of the day. We expect to make Ben’s and Sarah’s presentations available to members in due course.

To read the full article, please click on the title. 

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Do You Actually Need A Father To Raise A Child? - Dr Anna Machin | Modern Wisdom 680 - YouTube (LINK)

Dr Anna Machin, evolutionary biologist from Oxford University discusses the role of fatherhood across time with Chris Williamson on the You Tube Chanel Modern Wisdom 680. 

Amicable's guide to talking to the school about your separation | Gingerbread (LINK).

Gingerbread, with their charity partner amicable, have produced a useful guide on how to talk to your children’s school about your separation. Katy Daly also blogs here (LINK) with Dr Ann Howard-Webkinz about the effects Separation on children. 

The Identification of Parental Alienation by Amy Baker

Dr Amy Baker leading academic describes the four-factor model for identifying Parental Alienation (LINK).

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To mark International Men’s Day, please add your name to this petition calling for a ‘Minister for Men and Boys’. You can see more details here. 

Most of us who have struggled with Family Court are only too aware of the lack of support from government.

However, this is not the only area where men and boys are disadvantaged: 

Boys are underachieving in school

74% of suicides are male

85% of rough sleepers are male

The list goes on.

The role of the Minister for Men and Boys would be to take responsibility for getting these issues addressed.

Currently the petition has about 1000 signatures.  Parliamentary insiders suggest that we need about 5000 before MPs would take note.

When you’ve signed it yourself, please forward it to as many as you think would sign.  Often it’s mothers-of-sons who are most concerned.

Sam Morfey.

Chief Executive Officer.

Email: sam.morfey@fnf.org.uk  

Phone: 020 4586 4651 | 0300 030 0110 

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‘I am instructed by my solicitor to tell you this. You are just my childminder. but with these differences. You have fewer rights, and it’s your job to pay me.’ 

Pretty blunt. But actually true. The only right a father (normally) has is to embark on litigation. 

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Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary, announced at the Conservative Party conference this addition to the Victims and Prisoners Bill, to be introduced to parliament later this year. The new law, called Jade’s Law, named after the case of Paul Ward convicted of killing Jade Ward at their home in 2021. The law currently allows all adults with parental responsibility to obtain school reports, progress reports and medical records, including those jailed for murder. The new law will remove PR from these parents.  The option for an aggrieved parent to remove PR already exists in the Children Act 1989. Our legitimate concern is whether this tragic and terrible case is the thin end of wedge, with the principle applied to allegations and non-criminal acts. We will be keeping a close eye. (LINK).

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