Separated families Separated families

News, research, policy and practice articles on working with separated families, and maximising the involvement of fathers in the lives of their children post-separation.

Dads’ FAQs: Child support
Practice » Separated families
20 October 2012
CHILD SUPPORT Questions we have been asked include: ‘Young father wants to know at what age CMEC will start deducting money’ ‘CMEC have just doubled his payment; he can’t afford it; what should he do?’ The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC) is responsible for the child maintenance system in Great Britain. 
Dads’ FAQs: Contact and residence (UK)
Practice » Separated families
19 October 2012
CONTACT AND RESIDENCE (UK) Questions we have been asked include: ‘Mother will only allow father to see child a few hours a week’ ’16-year-old daughter has broken off contact; father wants help to find out why’ ‘Single dad with supervision order being denied contact with his child’ ‘Ex-girlfriend charging him £200 per week to see child’ ‘My girlfriend is pregnant with twins. 
Dads’ FAQs: Contact and residence (International)
Practice » Separated families
18 October 2012
CONTACT AND RESIDENCE (INTERNATIONAL) Questions we have been asked include: ‘Mother is asylum seeker; father UK citizen; wants to marry outside UK; how to best get contact with baby?’ ‘Mother has taken son to Australia. 
Dads’ FAQs: Dads in prison
Practice » Separated families
17 October 2012
DADS IN PRISON/YOUNG OFFENDERS’ INSTITUTIONS Questions we have been asked include: ‘Young father in YOI wants to attend birth of child’ ‘Father in prison wants to see his children’ ‘Father has been moved to a prison far away from his family – visits now impossible’ In research carried out in 2009, Barnardo’s found that around 160,000 children in the UK have a parent (mostly a father) in prison. 
Dads’ FAQs: Grandparents
Practice » Separated families
14 October 2012
GRANDPARENTS Questions we have been asked include: ‘Grandfather wants to know of fathers’ helpline numbers in Sweden’ ‘Grandmother wants father to be means-tested for maintenance’ ‘Since our son and his wife split up, we have not seen the children. 
Dads’ FAQs: Parental Responsibility
Practice » Separated families
13 October 2012
PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY Questions we have been asked include: ‘What is Parental Responsibility?’ ‘When does an unmarried father have Parental Responsibility?’ ‘How do we get a form to apply for Parental Responsibility?’ ‘Can a stepfather get Parental Responsibility?