FNF - Definition

Families Need Fathers (FNF) is a registered UK charity, founded in 1974. It provides information and support to parents, including unmarried parents, of either sex.

Overview

FNF is a self-help group, and is involved in research into shared parenting and political lobbying.

FNF is chiefly concerned with the problems of maintaining a child's relationship with both parents during and after family breakdown, and has acquired over 10,000 members in its 30-year history.

The group's volunteer members offer advice to parents, which aims to be child-centred. Hence the advice here originally worked out by children who took part in a divorce survival class:

• Don't ask us what happened while with the other parent
• Don't ask us to keep secrets
• Don't put us in a position where we have to tell lies
• Don't ask us to take sides
• Don't take out your anger on us
• Don't get into competition with one another
• Do allow us to love both parents without being got at by either
• Don't ask us to choose between you

"Families Need Fathers has become a key player in the debate about on-going contact and joint residence." Rt Hon Lord Justice Wall [1] (http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmconst/uc1247-i/uc124702.htm)

See also

• Case Law
• Divorce
• Domestic violence
• Family
• Family law
• Family law system in the UK
• Father
• Fathers' rights
• Fathers' rights movement in the UK
• Fathers' rights movement in Italy
• Marriage strike
• Parenting
• Parenting plan
• Pressure groups in the United Kingdom
• Shared parenting
• Spousal abuse

Research

List of family separation research articles

Organizations

• Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS)
• Child Support Agency (CSA)
• Department for Constitutional Affairs
• Department for Education and Skills (DFES)
• Papa' Separati
• Family Justice Council
• Fathers Direct
• Fathers 4 Justice
• NYAS

External links

• Families Need Fathers web site (http://www.fnf.org.uk)
• Map (http://www.fnf.org.uk/MAP/uk.htm)
• FNF regional web sites
  • Norwich (http://www.fnf-norwich.org.uk/)
  • Bristol (http://www.fnfbristol.org.uk/)
  • Northwest (http://www.fnf-northwest.org.uk/)
  • Cardiff (http://www.fnf-cardiff.org.uk/)
  • Sheffield (http://www.fnf-sheffield.org.uk/)
• Directory of MPs (http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/alms.cfm)
• Minister of State for Children (http://www.epolitix.com/EN/MPWebsites/Margaret+Hodge/8DF77971-054D-4EEB-BEB1-8F635C7826EF.htm)
• More Links (http://www.fnf.org.uk/links.htm)
• The Charity Commission's entry on FNF (http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/showcharity.asp?remchar=&chyno=276899)

Other organisations in this field

• Family Justice Council (http://www.family-justice-council.org.uk/index.htm)
• Parenting Education & Support Forum (PESF) (http://www.parenting-forum.org.uk/)
• National Association for Child Support Action (NACSA) (http://www.nacsa.org.uk/)
• Parentline Plus (http://www.parentlineplus.org.uk/templates/home/index.cfm)
• The American Coalition of Fathers and Children (ACFC) (http://www.acfc.org)
• Fathers Direct (http://www.fathersdirect.com)
• Mothers Apart from Their Children (MATCH) (http://www.matchmothers.org/pages/news.html)
• Relate (formerly the Marriage Guidance Council) (http://www.relate.org.uk)
• Guardian statistics (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/children/story/0,12816,992564,00.html)
• Family Resource Centre (http://www.familycentre.com/)
• Dr. Stephen Baskerville (insightful writings on divorce industry's affects on fatherhood) (http://www.stephenbaskerville.net)