Irish society has to respond to the rise of single parent families by giving fathers a greater role in raising their children, a leading charity has said.
Barnardos yesterday evaluated the success of its "Da Project" at an event in Ballyfermot, Dublin.
It said there were approximately 189,000 lone parent families in Ireland in 2006, some 86 per cent of them headed by women. The work of Barnardos has shown that children who develop stronger links with both parents are more likely to live productive lives.
The project is aimed at improving the relationship between children and their fathers in separated families where the mother is the main carer.
"To reduce a father to an absence or just a sum of money is to ignore the potential he has as a benign stabilising influence in his child's life," said guest speaker Dr Martin McAleese.
"His more active inclusion in child rearing has potential for better, healthier, less resentful family relationships all round. It simply enriches all their lives," Dr McAleese said.
The project started in 2003 in Cherry Orchard, Dublin. The primary objective was to engage with fathers whose children attended Barnardos family support services in Cherry Orchard and to date it has been successful.
Contact between Barnardos and both parents in families has risen by 29 per cent and the number of fathers the charity now provides support to has risen by 23 per cent.
Chief executive of Barnardos Fergus Finlay said: "Recent research shows that greater engagement of fathers in the care and rearing of their children, particularly in the early and pre-teenage years, can result in many social, educational and psychological benefits for children.
"These range from better social skills, fewer emotional and behavioural difficulties in adolescence, better school performance and less chance of getting into trouble with the law," Mr Finlay said.
A handbook has been developed during the project in the hope that other agencies will adopt a father-friendly framework.
Francis Chance of Barnardos said: "Too often fathers are invisible when State, community and voluntary services work with families.
"Father inclusive practice is good for children, good for fathers and good for mothers. It's a win, win, win situation."
