Parenting programs help make every day Fathers' Day
MEDIA RELEASE
1 September 2010
Parenting programs help make every day Fathers’ Day in Sydney’s west
UnitingCare Burnside’s Multicultural Family Centre at Cabramatta is aiming to make this year’s Fathers’ Day a very special one indeed.
The Centre will be running a series of programs that support fathers from different cultural backgrounds in focusing on children’s needs and the development of strong family relationships.
Coordinator of the Fathers’ Support Service Lucrecia Oliva said, ‘These programs are designed to support men and fathers in their social relationships and to enable fathers to recognise their strengths and potential in parenting. We are a community based program and hence our services are free and extend to all fathers - the men may be single, partnered, separated or re-partnered’.
A wide variety of courses are offered, all using a strengths-based approach which acknowledges that men can bring different and valid perspectives to relationship issues.
Our service is available to fathers in Sydney and the groups are usually delivered in the Parramatta, Fairfield, Campbelltown and Blacktown local government areas.
‘We also offer workshops in several community languages including Arabic, Assyrian, Serbian and Dinka and also run programs for Indigenous fathers. Each program explores relevant issues for fathers such as understanding children’s difficult behaviours or working with children in a globalising world. "Parenting between cultures" is a program that provides fathers from CALD backgrounds with parenting skills and strategies to help raise children in a new culture while maintaining their own’, Ms Oliva said.
The Fathers’ Support Service also provide telephone support casework and appropriate referrals for separated fathers and men or those who are in need of a space to talk about difficult issues in a safe and sensitive manner.
Please phone us 9781 3350 for further enquiries.
To find out more about the fathers’ programs contact
Lucrecia Oliva on 9781 3333.
Media enquiries to Mark Warren 0438 294 938.
