Press Releases

Media Release – for immediate release 27^th June 2020

Biggest Ever UK Parental Alienation Study Published 
The damage caused to children by poor or selfish parenting when they separate has reached epidemic proportions 
Tens of thousands of children suffer the needless loss of a parent in their lives through abusive denigration of good parents 
Family courts are not fit for purpose - other forms of support are all but non-existent 
Covid-19 is making matters worse 

While the Domestic Abuse Bill is being scrutinised by Parliament a powerful new report highlights the desperate need to address a system of family justice and support that are not working properly.

The UK Parental Alienation Study 2020 has just been published. It was conducted by Good Egg Safety CIC, a  leading campaigner on child safety who has worked on a wide range of social justice and community safety programmes.
The study is based on over 1,500 responses from separated parents, the biggest such study ever conducted in the UK. The results mirror the experience of parents who are FNF members and service users:

• Almost half report not seeing their children for over six months, in many cases not for years.
• 58% experienced breaches of court orders. 
• 80% experiencing adverse health impact.

This broader study shows that the issue is reported heavily by mums as well as dads and has adverse wellbeing effects on children regardless of which parent is behaving abusively. 

The report identifies the kinds of abusive behaviours following family separation that wreak untold damage on tens of thousands of children every year. Behaviours such as isolating children from their fathers, mothers, grandparents and wider family, denigrating and devaluing of victim mothers and fathers and making false allegations against parents (often in front of the children). 

A spokesperson for FNF says “With almost half of parents separating before their children leave school, it would not be an over-statement to say that the situation has become a child wellbeing issue of epidemic proportions. 

The adversarial family justice system has shown itself to be unfit-for-purpose. It takes well over half a year to conclude family proceedings - on average, and often the child is no longer able to see one of their parents! Many children's arrangements take a year or even several years.

Frequently the court fails to provide early-intervention when needed and only takes enforcement action in relation to breaches of court orders far too late and in fewer than 1% of cases.  

FNF support Philip Davies MP’s amendments to the Domestic Abuse Bill that seek to ensure that children are protected from all forms of abuse.”

LINK TO SURVEY STUDY: https://www.canva.com/design/DAEAF75oOd0/view
 
Notes for editors: 
Families Need Fathers - because both parents matter

FNF is a registered UK charity providing information and support on shared parenting issues arising from family breakdown, and support to divorced and separated parents, irrespective of gender or marital status. FNF is NOT a fathers' rights group - we support the best interests of children - namely mature and collaborative parenting by both parents - an objective which is inadequately promoted in the family court system and associated services. 
FNF receive approximately 30,000 calls a year to our Helpline and thousands more rely on our local branch network and online support.
Our primary concern is the maintenance of the child’s meaningful relationship with both parents. Founded in 1974, FNF helps thousands of parents every year.
Further information please contact us by email at media@fnf.org.uk or leave a message on 0300 0300 110

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Press Release – 23rd October 2019 – For Immediate Release

Parliamentary body unable to make proper recommendations on Child Maintenance ... because they say the Government has no strategy

3.9 million children have separated parents involving 5 million parents and welfare considerations for children are not thought through

FNF welcome the SSAC report that highlights many of the problems with Child Maintenance

Housing support needs to be available to both parents providing care

Unaffordable Child Maintenance assessments push parents into poverty

There are disincentives to work – worse under Universal Credit which has not even considered the problem.

The Child Maintenance Formula needs to work for separated families – for both parents and children alike

Families Need Fathers welcome the report, ‘Separated parents and the social security system’ just published by the Social Security Advisory Committee. It is the first time a Government agency has looked into Child Maintenance including the perspective of the paying parent. The report’s conclusions are damning.

Almost half of parents separate before their children leave school. 3.9 million children live with separated parents. However, instead of looking at the issues faced by all 5 million separated parents and their children, successive governments have considered dads as outsiders...instead of parents who are needed by their children to play an active part in raising them’. Many so-called ‘single parents’ are not sole parents.

SSAC’s report identifies key issues that we have been telling successive governments for years – there simply is no strategy defined for separated parents. This neglect is now made plain by the Government’s own advisory agency report . Policies to date have assumed that one parent is always a provider, and the other, a carer. Such policies do not reflect the reality or diversity of modern family life. Neither do they reflect a stated desire for gender equality. ‘Hostile sanctions’ policies have contributed to the ongoing failure of the Child Maintenance system - above all to children at a very stressful times for them and their parents.

Families Need Fathers welcome the recommendation that appropriate housing support must be available to both parents who share care of their children. Too many children lose their relationships with their fathers completely simply because they are confined to a room in shared accommodation.

Much, much more needs to be done. The report identifies many current problems, but the authors felt unable to make other specific recommendations. The reasons for this are there is "no clear social security strategy for separated parents so... [they are] Not able to assess whether the government's objectives for the social security system and separated parents are being achieved."

• Basically, they are saying 'how can we make recommendations when there is no overall strategy defined?' The welfare policies that are in place are piecemeal and inconsistent.
• There has been so much focus on one parent who is assumed to have main responsibility for children.
• The report emphasises the need to "encourage DWP to do more work and to consider ways of improving the CM formula to factor in the well-being and living standards of both parents and their children".

Jerry Karlin, Chair and Managing Trustee of Families Need Fathers says

"The inconvenient truth is that most of Child Maintenance arrears are not down to ‘deadbeat dads’ but to poverty and a Child Maintenance system that is not fit for purpose. The Department of Work and Pensions’ strategy turns out to be like ‘the emperor’s new clothes’. Government apparently moved from the totally discredited Child Support Agency (CSA) to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) without actually defining what they hoped to achieve. The need for a clear strategy and wholesale reform of Child Maintenance is urgent and long overdue. We call on the Government to introduce interim measures as soon as possible before more separated parents’ and their children’s lives are damaged by ill-conceived and incoherent ‘winner takes it all’ policies that exacerbate family conflict.

Current assessments by CMS often creates a hostile environment for separating parents. They set unrealistic expectations and demands on parents who are on benefits and may be struggling with their own costs of living and cannot afford the assessed payments. Such reckless demands also undermine shared parenting which has been proven to benefit children’s welfare outcomes. It is time for the Government to act!"

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Press Release – for immediate release 20^th April 2020

FNF have just published guidance on shared parenting and separately, on child maintenance under the Covid-19 lockdown.

The pandemic requires separated parents to co-operate as never before.

Parents need respite when looking after children 24/7.

Children, often already cut-off completely from grandparents need to know that both their parents are there for them whenever possible.

Daily we continue to hear of family conflict - parents must avoid the temptation to settle old scores and feelings of hurt. They must actively promote and not undermine child-parent/grandparent relationships.

Meanwhile as over 1.2 million people sign-up to Universal Credit – the Government must urgently act on the recommendations of its own investigative body and ensure that under Universal Credit neither parent is pushed below the poverty line. Government must ensure that UC assessments take into account statutory Child Maintenance Payments.

Families Need Fathers are delighted to make available guidance for child-focused shared parenting after separation under the coronavirus lockdown as well as on dealing with Child Maintenance difficulties.

It is always better to separate amicably or at least to make child arrangements for shared parenting that serve the best interests of the children. Daily we continue to be told of parents who are finding that their ex is exploiting the situation. In one case a dad was told that his daughter could not go to his house because she was being held in self-isolation, only for him to find out that she was still attending school.

Approximately 1,000 parents a week, who fail to agree arrangements for themselves, seek the support of Family Court in England and Wales. During the Covid-19 lockdown courts are only able to offer a limited service with remote hearings. The strain is telling. The more difficult cases are being shelved. Last week parents waited all day for a hearing that was cancelled without even a telephone call to inform parties. A judgement and orders from an earlier date were then only sent by email to one parent. The distress caused is unacceptable.

Our guidance promotes collaboration and gives guidance on what to do if that fails to result in progress. The risk to the parent who denies child-parent time without adequate justification is made clear in the guidance from The President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane.

Sir Andrew’s guidance states: “If, after the event, the actions of a parent acting on their own in this way are questioned by the other parent in the Family Court, the court is likely to look to see whether each parent acted reasonably and sensibly in the light of the official advice and the Stay at Home Rules in place at that time, together with any specific evidence relating to the child or family” Government also states: “Where parents do not live in the same household, children under 18 can be moved between their parents' homes.”

Jerry Karlin, Managing Trustee of Families Need Fathers says “We are pleased to be able to offer up-to-date guidance at this difficult time. Family separation is stressful for children at the best of times. Covid-19 has inflicted new challenges and pressures on them, their parents, grandparents and wider families. Everyone must pull together in the interests of the children. Family Courts, even under strain, must be robust to prevent the gaming of the system. Court cases prior to Covid-19 on average 28 weeks to complete. By being more robust at an early stage, it would be more likely that many could be closed earlier. Delays are never in the interests of children. The Judiciary and Ministry of Justice must see to it that resources are put in place so decisions and support are offered in child-appropriate timeframes. Meanwhile FNF guidance is available to anyone who is unsure of what to do and our Helpline (0300 0300 363) and volunteers continue to provide support remotely.”

Support is also needed in relation to resolving conflict over Child Maintenance as hundreds of thousands of parents lose jobs and income. The initial response by the Department of Work and Pensions is welcome, but does not go anywhere near far enough. As over 1.2 million new applications are processed for Universal Credit, the Government must urgently take heed of the recommendations3 last year of their own statutory advisory body, the Social Security Advisory Council (SSAC), and ensure that it takes into account Child Maintenance payments.

Jerry Karlin continues, “As well as taking urgent actions recommended by SSAC, the Government must tackle the hostile environment that CMS projects. The 20% surcharges on parents on benefits who struggle to pay their assessed child maintenance must stop immediately. So must the aggressive pursuit of parents on low incomes and state benefits for historic and unaffordable CM arrears. The refusal to review CM assessments for those whose incomes don’t drop by 25% must end. Finally, parents who do not comply with Family Court orders must stop being rewarded with extra maintenance for denying parenting time of their children by expartners. Meanwhile we hope parents find our guidance on Child Maintenance helpful.”

Notes for editors:

Families Need Fathers - because both parents matter

FNF is a registered UK charity providing information and support on shared parenting issues arising from family breakdown, and support to divorced and separated parents, irrespective of gender or marital status. FNF is NOT a fathers' rights group - we support the best interests of children - namely mature and collaborative parenting by both parents - an objective which is inadequately promoted in the family court system and associated services.

FNF receive approximately 30,000 calls a year to our Helpline and thousands more rely on our local branch network and online support.

Our primary concern is the maintenance of the child’s meaningful relationship with both parents. Founded in 1974, FNF helps thousands of parents every year.

Further information please contact us by email at media@fnf.org.uk or leave a message on 0300 0300 110.

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Press Release - 14^th June 2019

A third of domestic abuse is towards men. The Joint Committee's report states that men, boys and others must not be excluded, however, instead of seeking resources and support for all, it continues to support a gendered strategy of ending ‘violence against women and girls'.

Report published on the very same day as new advertising rules ban the use of harmful gender stereotypes.

Whilst the report rightly identifies minority groups that may be marginalised in current proposals,

it fails to identify men/fathers which are the biggest group marginalised in the Bill by far.

The Joint Committee’s report fails to address a growing problem of false allegations, particularly in the context of family separation.

Safeguards are needed to protect the welfare of children where the system is abused.

Criminal sanctions should only be imposed if guilt is established in a criminal court.

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Press Release 5^th February 2020 

Finland's government plans to give new fathers as much paid leave as mothers 

Finland is investing in children and families - the UK is lagging far behind

UK's children are needlessly being deprived of the full benefits of both parents

Paternity leave must be funded on a 'use-it or lose-it basis'

 Current parental leave policies do not reflect the diversity of modern family life

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