Words & images I Relationships Australia
Research has shown that being a warm and supportive, involved and engaged father impacts positively on your child’s mental wellbeing. But contrary to popular belief, we don’t always know automatically what to do as a parent.
It’s for this reason that Relationships Australia WA launched their popular Dads support service in Mandurah, called ‘4Dads’.
Community Development Officer Andre Cannavo said talking to other Dads and learning from their experiences can be one of the best ways to learn and build new skills to improve your family relationships and raise capable young people.
“We provide a safe, male-focused service for fathers and our activities are developed with men’s needs in mind so that Dads engaging in our program gain localised benefits.”
One of the most popular groups is the free Dads and Kids Breakfast Club, held fortnightly on Saturday mornings. It gives Dads a chance to participate in fun activities with their children, as well as meet and chat with other Dads living in the area in a relaxed environment. Special editions this year have included the popular circus fun day, pyjama breakfast club and Olympic fun day.
Mr Cannavo said 4Dads also ensured they were involved in major men’s health and community wellbeing events, including Men’s Health Week, DIY Dads at Bunnings, International Men’s Day and Father’s Day. On the 11th of November, they are hosting a special Zoom presentation by parenting expert Maggie Dent at the Peel Football Club.
Tickets are already sold out for the session on ‘Calming our Kids’, demonstrating the appetite for parenting support and education workshops in the local area.
Mr Cannavo said families have had to deal with some major changes to their lives and the world in such a short time. “Dads may have been feeling more vulnerable and required additional psychological and emotional support, especially during lockdowns.” “But with the support of local partnerships and service delivery agreements, 4Dads has been able to continue to deliver their services seamlessly – online and face-to-face. “
Workshops and services include:
Dads Information and Referral Service: Our one-on-one nontherapeutic support encourages men to discover and participate in services on offer in the Mandurah and Pinjarra areas. We can assist fathers to navigate the various resources available to them that could be beneficial to their personal growth and parenting abilities.
Counselling: Dads can also book a free one-on-one session counselling session on Tuesdays and Fridays at no cost.
Education: We can deliver tailored workshops, such as emotion coaching courses like ‘Tuning in to Teens’, ‘Child Focused Tools’ for those who have experienced family separation, or ‘Building Resilience’ seminars to enable your child to thrive.
Responsible Dads: A 15-week program to help fathers improve their relationship with their children. It is child-focused, supporting fathers to make parenting choices that are caring and safe, and responsive to their children’s needs. The open-ended ongoing format is designed to accommodate FIFO and shift workers when possible.
Relationships Australia WA is incredibly proud of the support they have been providing to Dads and their children since the service began in 2016. Although COVID-19 has presented challenges it has provided opportunities for us to continue to grow and adapt our service delivery to ensure all members of the community who require support can access it.
MORE INFORMATION
You can contact 4Dads on (08) 6164 0619 or email 4families.mandurah@relationshipswa.org.au.
For more information visit www.relationshipswa.org.au
This Children and Parent Support Service initiative is funded by the Department of Social Services.
This article was first published in the Spring/Summer 2021 edition of Peel magazine – if you haven’t already, download the latest edition of the Peel magazine here