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Campaigns
The Kids In The Middle joint campaign exploring the services provided for separating families and their children has progressed even further - click here to read all about it.
The Times Family Justice Campaign - July 2008
Camilla Cavendish, a journalist who has written about many family law issues in recent months, has launched a campaign in conjunction with The Times newspaper to address the failings of the British family justice system. Families Need Fathers is extremely glad to endorse her campaign, and is pleased to be one of the related support organisations listed.
You can read all about the the campaign at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/familyjustice
The Times have also set up page to share your experiences and to e-mail your MP - don't forget to mention that you're a supporter of Families Need Fathers as well. It
Major FNF Survey: Family Law Outcomes
Family Courts claim to put the interests of the child first. FNF believes that the claim is fatally undermined because the Courts keep no record of outcomes
How would we feel about a medical service which never saw its patients after treatment, and had no idea (or even interest in) whether they lived or died?
To redress this, FNF is developing the biggest-ever survey of the outcomes of UK Family Law cases. The survey concentrates on contact issues, and especially on the experiences and perceptions of non-resident parents.
The survey collects up to 450 different pieces of information for each participant. We already have around 160 completed surveys, and as this number grows, FNF will become more and more authoritative in its dealings with judges, politicians, and lawyers.
Among the striking findings so far is that as many as 70% of respondents say they were victims of false allegations which seriously impacted the amount of contact their children enjoyed with them. Evidence like this puts FNF in a much stronger position to raise the issues of false allegations – and prevent it being summarily dismissed as a problem affecting only a minority of cases.
Please help this important work by completing the survey online – It only takes around 15 to 30 minutes. Visit www.FamilyLawSurvey.co.uk.
Articles in future issues of McKenzie will present more of our results and future survey plans.
Grandparents Coalition Questionnaire- May 2008
Many thanks to all who replied to our Grandparents Coalition questionnaire. The responses are being collated and the report will be launched at an event at Westminster in November. Watch this space for more information.
See our Grandparents' Day press release here.
Help Find Savanah-Jade - June 9th 2008
Steve Moseley's daughter, Savanah-Jade Dawson, has been taken to live in Australia by her mother and her new husband. It was against Steve and his family's wishes. The mother and her new partner promised under oath that she would let Savanah keep regular contact with her real father Steve and left a phone number and PO Box address with him. It is possible that her name has been changed to Savanah-Jade Gray.
The mobile number is now disconnected and there has been no reply to the many letters sent to the PO Box address.
Steve now has no idea where Savanah is and neither he nor any of his family has had any contact with her since September 2007.
By joining Families Need Fathers you will be giving your support to the campaigning work of the charity.
We are working hard to make sure that both parents can be involved in their children's lives after separation and that they both share responsibility for their children. We want to ensure that fathers and mothers are of equal status in law and that children can continue their relationships with both parents.
As a campaigning charity, FNF is widely recognized as the most knowledgeable representative of parents living apart from their children (known as non-resident parents.) We are working to get a fairer deal for separated parents and their children in the courts and have achieved changes in the law: from December 2003 onwards, a father who is on his child's birth certificate now automatically has Parental Responsibility, which means that he is recognised as having responsibility for his child and is entitled to be consulted on his child's education, medical treatment and other matters important to his child's welfare. Also, parents who wish to represent themselves in court are now permitted to have someone to help them (known as a McKenzie Friend).
FNF is active in highlighting the problems faced by non-resident parents in particular, and in influencing public opinion by raising awareness of how the current family justice system and social policy can fail separated families, and the effect this has on parents and children alike.
For our campaigns to be effective, we rely on members telling us what they are experiencing as the result of separation, and making their own opinions heard - this is vital in FNF being considered an authority when being consulted with on matters related to parenting after separation and, as a large group, ensures that our message reaches a wider audience and is more powerful.
Click here to get involved in volunteering or see below for more information about the latest campaigns and consultations.