The Single Dad; Full-Time Dads Issue 24

Full-Time Dads;

The Magazine for Caregiver Fathers

Issue 24

The Single Dad

A collection of odds and ends that may be of interest to our single-dad readers.

NEW FORCE IN DIVORCE (From the Melbourne Herald Sun, Monday Feb. 19 1996)
LONDON -- Children will be able to take their parents to court to stop them divorcing under radical government proposals to be unveiled this week.

A Sunday Telegraph report says the children will be able to argue before a judge that their parents should not split on the grounds that it will cause "substantial financial or other hardship".

The measure has been tabled as an amendment to the Family Law Bill and will be moved in the House of Lords on Thursday.

The move is being seen as a concession to Tory critics of the Lord Chancellor, Lord Mackay of Clashfern, who say his reforms threaten to undermine the institution of marriage.

Husbands and wives will also be able to seek an order under the terms of the amandment enabling them to argue against a divorce if they can show that the children will suffer.

A great deal of debate is likely on the controversial proposal.

-Thanks to Craig Harper

F.G.N. BUMPER STICKERS
are ready for distribution

GREEN on WHITE, main line: "KIDS NEED DADS TOO"

$5 for general public.
$1 for participants and members on FGN or FGJ-L lists.
(+ 7% sales tax if living in CA)
Please make your check out to: Family Guardian Network
In the memo write: "FGN bumper sticker"
Mail to: P.O.Box 261824 . San Diego, CA 92196

For more info on The Family Guardian Journal, write to them at:
Family Guardian Journal,
P.O.Box 261824,
San Diego, CA 92196
Phone: (619)452-3080
e-mail

The Fathers' Rights & Equality Exchange announces the
FREE Roof Program

This program is designed to help alleviate the burden to those fathers who must travel out-of-town in order to spend time with their children.

Members of F.R.E.E. may register with the program, either offering accomodations to other members who must travel to their area, seeking accomodations in the area to which they themselves must travel, or both.

Announced in early February of 1996, the FREE Roof Program is already able to offer accomodations to such members in over a dozen locations!

The Fathers' Rights & Equality Exchange is very pleased to announce another benefit of membership:
FREE LEGAL CONSULTATIONS IN ALL AREAS OF THE LAW!

F.R.E.E. has arranged with the National Resource Center for Consumers of Legal Services, a 25-year-old nonprofit organization, to participate in the Access Project. F.R.E.E. members will be provided with a free telephone or in-person (as agreed-to) consultation with an attorney in their area. If more advice is needed, Access Project lawyers will provide substantial discounts (20% or more) off their regular rates. This is a comprehensive program covering all general areas of law!

You do not need to enroll separately. Current F.R.E.E. members will automatically be covered; benefits will be available on or about February 15th, 1996.

Access Project lawyers are screened by the National Resource Center for Consumers of Legal Services. All are in private practice, and serve clients outside of the Access Project as well. All are licensed and in good standing in their state.

Your first substantive consultation about any legal matter is free Consultations may be by telephone or in person (as mutually agreed) and will last for up to 30 minutes.

There is no limit to the number of consultations you may have under the plan, provided that each consultation is for a separate matter.

For information about becoming a full member of the Fathers' Rights & Equality Exchange, and membership benefits, send e-mail to The Fathers Rights and Equality Exchange.

Toronto Fathers' Resources is offering a free monthly meeting for divorced dads This meeting is designed to bring men together in a supportive and helpful environment.

Meeting Agenda includes: an introductory talk, new monthly topic and a Q & A session; Learn about available resources in the Greater Toronto Area; Learn some new strategies to improve your situation; Meet other fathers and join a support network; New video topic each month.

The group introduces Dad's to effective communication strategies and techniques. These ingredients are absolutely essential to unravelling complex divorce problems. Further, such skills are necessary to re-establish a minimum level of trust between divorcing parents, in order to make co-parenting a real possibility.

At our meetings, fathers learn how to: Serve their children's best interests; Bring about a fair resolution to divorce issues; What resources are available to them in the GTA; Negotiation and mediation strategies; Techniques to locate, interview and retain competent legal representation whom possess a solid mediation background; Effective presentation of facts in negotiations, mediation, assessment, court; Understand the impact of their communication on the divorce processes they9ll face; How to use the above knowledge to circumvent complex divorce problems creatively.

We usually meet the first Monday of each month (except when there is a holiday), our next meeting is Monday April 15th, from 7pm to 9pm. The location for this meeting is at Market Lane Public School, 2nd floor in the Library at 246 The Esplanade, which is only a 10 minute walk south-east of the King Subway station in downtown Toronto. If you're arriving by car, it is two streets south-east of Sherbourne and Front streets' intersection. Please note, call our hotline for location info each month as our locations may change from month to month.... Call our 24 hour hotline at (416) 861-0626 Ext 1

The April 15th meeting topic was: Parenting Diaries - a non-blaming communication tool that can be shared between divorcing parents; used to communicate parental fitness/plans in negotiations, mediation sessions, assessments and litigation; gather the raw data necessary to draft co-parenting/parenting plans.

The Parenting Diary is a system that focuses divorcing parents on their parenting of their children, rather than focusing on blaming each other for the divorce.

The Parenting Diary is versatile tool for divorcing parents:

Dad and Mom can use it to communicate between themselves if verbal communication proves difficult;

It can be used as a means to plan out co-parenting/parenting plans: and

Finally, if all reasonable attempts of settlement are not possible due to a recalcitrant ex-spouse denying access, it can be used as a means of organizing evidence for incremental introduction, as is appropriate to the stage of the proceedings.

The Parenting Diary is available for $49.95 US plus shipping.and can be ordered via Fathers Resources International at: doppler@astral.magic.ca
or call 416-861-0626 ext.#1.

Creating the win-win divorce is difficult, not impossible. The adversarial legal process often leaves children suffering silently, as they pay the brunt of the emotional cost of divorce. Powerful strategies and effective methods do exist to overcome "The Divorce From Hell" and protect kids from the emotional abuse of divorce.

Fatherlessness is the issue of the 90's - a major component in today9s troubled youth. Raising one's children, the most significant contribution parents makes to society.

Much evidence exists to suggest kids risk numerous emotional and developmental problems when separated by divorce from their Dad. TORONTO FATHER'S RESOURCES helps Dad's focus on providing continuity, stability, guidance and fatherly love to their kids during divorce. Such an approach is always in children9s best interests.

If you know of a resource-Internet or not- that you want to share with other single dads, send us e-mail, and we'll pass it on.

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