Relationships Australia Victoria (RAV) is excited to announce the release of a new website that is dedicated to supporting fathers across Australia. It provides free information, advice and resources for dads, and a toolkit for professionals who work with fathers and families.
The website has been developed as part of a national Support for Fathers project that aims to support young men and fathers in their role as parents and partners, with the outcome being an increase in men’s involvement in achieving gender equality and reduced violence.
With funding from the Department of Social Services as part of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022, RAV is delivering the project collaboratively, with input from Relationships Australia’s federation of state and territory organisations.
The Support for Fathers website has been designed to help men to access relevant services and community supports, and to promote engagement and collaboration across the fathering sector.
It follows consultations with over 900 dads, families and service providers around Australia, which focused on identifying fathers’ support needs and how services can best engage with and meet the needs of fathers.
Support for Fathers Project Coordinator, Dom Alford, said that this engagement with the community had been pivotal in informing the website’s design and content.
“The consultations demonstrated that men, and in particular fathers, often don’t access family services or benefit from parenting support opportunities, and that accessible and relevant services are required to reduce barriers to fathers gaining support,” Mr Alford said.
“While there are some initiatives that are already in place for fathers, men and their partners are saying that they need
