By Benjamin Millar
Forty new dads will have the chance to boost their skills and confidence after a grant worth almost $80,000 was awarded to a Footscray-based early parenting organisation.
Philanthropic trust Helen Macpherson Smith Trust has gifted $78,760 to Tweddle Child and Family Health Service to help put the next batch of western suburbs dads through the popular Working Out Dads program.
Early fatherhood support is scarce despite one in 10 Australian fathers experiencing poor physical and mental health in their child’s critical early years.
This has flow-on effects including reduced productivity, adverse effects on child health and family violence.
Tweddle chief executive Jacquie O’Brien praised the Trust’s decision to invest in early intervention for dads.
“Research links fathers’ mental health and low parenting confidence with relationship conflict and hostile parenting which impacts a child’s social and emotional health,” she said.
“This grant is vital in the evolution of Working Out Dads and scoping the program to reach as many dads as possible into the future.”
Tweddle has delivered 13 Working Out Dads programs across the western suburbs so far.
Helen Macpherson Smith Trust chief executive Lin Bender said the funding will also underpin a partnership between Tweddle and Social Ventures Australia to help the program remain viable, grow in size and roll out into new areas.
For more information or to register contact call 9689 1577.
