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http://www.stopinjusticenow.com/News_0321.htm
A welter of research has appeared over the past 10 years attesting to the positive contribution that fathers (living with their children - or not) can make in the lives of their children. This has also drawn attention to the marginalisation of fathers by social services.
Despite this, key shapers of social work opinion continue to marginalise fathers by refusing to include them in policies or practice or stereotyping them as all bad (and, at the same time, elevating mothers to the status of sole carers).
Examples abound. The new Scottish framework for assessment was published on the web in February 2007 as part of the Scottish executive's programme to develop an integrated assessment framework for children and families work. It is intended to be "relevant to any professional working with children or young people whether in the context of education, social work, health, police or other services". The material is built around a case study of the life of Mairi from birth to 18. A timeline presents various critical incidents in her life such as being fostered, her adoption and referral to a young people's unit for an eating disorder.
At the end of the timeline, Mairi goes to university. Nowhere in all the various discussions of her life's ups and downs does a birthfather, foster father or adoptive father take any part.
There is one passing reference to Mairi's biological father. If this was a case of a birthfather abandoning a child then it might be an accurate portrayal. But we are not told this, just that he has returned to Asia. No efforts are made to create a picture of him for Mairi's memory box and in other preparations for her fostering and adoption. Good practice in writing the framework materials would suggest that Mairi needs as much of her father's history as can be obtained. And this ought to be brought forward just like the work with and about Mairi's birthmother.
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