Kwinana dads are getting a helping hand to support them in one of life’s most challenging pursuits: parenting. The Fathering Project — a national group that aims to help dads and father figures be the best parents they can so children can thrive — is taking up residence at the Darius Wells Library and Resource Centre. National community services manager Paul Hetherington said the group had run from the Calista Child and Parent Centre since 2022 and was expanding its Community Fathering Project to help more families. “As our service has grown and the needs of our fathers become more complex, the need for a more holistic office space has become evident and the Darius Wells Centre is able to offer that,” he said. “We provide support for fathers and father figures in the area by creating connections with other fathers, creating better relationships with their children, helping to build a strong fathering ‘toolkit’, giving practical tips for better fathering and improving mental health and confidence.” Mr Hetherington said this was done through tailored case management support, dads group get-togethers and community events, as well as engaging with schools and providing access to a raft of parenting resources. Case manager Jason Hyde said the group would also run a free parenting program called Connect, which aims to build an unbreakable bond between fathers and their children. “We support fathers to navigate parenting roles holistically with emotional intelligence, resilience and hope,” he said. “We help nurture positive parent/child relationships, understand children better and build a parenting toolkit.” Several other non-profit services run from the centre, including on-site counselling, early childhood development and education, which Mr Hyde said would enable clients to access other support services in the one place. According to Mr Hetherington, current research showed that interventions aimed at promoting positive parenting and increasing fathers’ involvement significantly improved child development outcomes and prevented harmful and antisocial behaviours. “For me, being a dad is the best thing in the world and anything that can help you be a better dad can’t be a bad thing, right?” he said. The City of Kwinana council approved a one-year lease at the centre for The Fathering Project, with the option to extend for a further three one-year terms. Mayor Peter Feasey said the group’s relocation would create “better opportunities to collaborate, share resources, ensure seamless referral networks and increase visibility and accessibility”. “With a growing number of community service organisations now based locally and more coming each month, we are doing all we can to partner, advocate and make Kwinana more attractive for the not-for-profit sector to locate themselves in a growing close-knit community,” he said. “Services that are now based out of Kwinana include SCALES Legal Services, Workpower, which is about to open at the Darius Wells centre, Multicultural Futures, which is also about to open, Palmerston, Anglicare, St Pat’s and Reclink. “The City of Kwinana is committed to ensuring local residents have key services right here, reducing their need to travel”. Call The Fathering Project on 1300 328 437 or visit its website for information and resources.
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