About us

What is Support for Fathers?

Support for Fathers provides dads and father-figures with options and information about fatherhood, the relationship with their partner and connecting with their kids.

We also enable support services to work with dads and families more effectively through a toolkit and training.

Download our project flyer here.

Who we are?

Relationships Australia Victoria, a not-for-profit, community organisation providing family and relationship support services, is funded by the Department of Social Services as part of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 to deliver the Support for Fathers project.

Our aim

For dads to:

  • Learn more about the importance of their role as dads and partners
  • Have options based on real dads, evidence and practical strategies
  • Improve their confidence as dads and partners
  • Role-model healthy and respectful relationships within their family and community
  • Have more positive experiences with support services
  • Experience support services that are focused on the needs of dads

Who did we talk to?

Our content is based on discussions and feedback from dads, families and service providers around Australia.

In 2018/19, we ran community consultations, service provider workshops, and a national survey to figure out what dads in Australia want to learn about.

From 2020 to now we have been delivering workshops and training to dads, father-figures and support services to continually update and improve our project.

How are we doing this?

 

  1. Resources for dads and father-figures
  2. A Professionals’ Toolkit for support services working with dads and families
  3. DadStuff workshops for dads and father-figures to learn more
  4. Working with Dads training for professionals and support services
  5. The DadStuff Wall to share all the great fatherhood content on social media
  6. A Dads in the Workplace program for organisations to support their employees as dads

Reducing family violence in Australia, why dads?

To build a safe future for our children, we must address what happens in the home and our family relationships. We are working with men as dads to play their part and help reduce family violence in Australia. We are talking about dads who do not use violence and dads who do.

To achieve this, Support for Fathers is:

  • Providing dads with options on fatherhood and family relationships
  • Supporting dads and families to be happy and healthy
  • Asking dads to be healthy role models for their family and other dads in their community
  • Encouraging services to work with dads in an inclusive and positive way.

If you would like more information about family violence in Australia, start here:

Get started...

For dads

If you’re a dad, your partner is a dad or you are just interested in being a dad, go to the For dads section. Check out the DadStuff workshops on our Events page.

For support services and professionals

If you work with dads and families, visit the Work with dads section. Check out the Working with Dads training available on our Events page.