Father’s Day a lonely time for four in ten

FOUR in 10 fathers have failed to see their children on Father’s Day, a poll has shown.

According to a ComRes survey of more than 1,000 fathers, 37 per cent said they, or someone they know, had experienced not seeing their children on Father’s Day.

If this is indicative of the general population, some 2.3million men will not see their children today.

The survey, commissioned by campaign group Fathers 4 Justice (F4J) focused on men with children aged 18 and under. It found that one in five fathers feared losing, or had lost contact with their children, and 22 per cent knew someone who had experienced this.

One third (32 per cent) had experienced, or knew someone who had experienced, distress or mental health issues after being denied access to their children.

Matt O’Connor, the F4J founder, said the figures “lay bare the appalling scale and reality of the challenges dads face on a daily basis”.

The group wants a dedicated political representation for men and boys, in the same way that women have a women’s minister, as well as a fully funded “safety net” to address the alarmingly high rates of male suicide, depression and other health issues linked to family breakdown.

The poll found nearly one in six fathers (17 per cent) had experienced challenges accessing their children, while a quarter (27 per cent) knew someone who had.

“Since we started our campaign in 2001, our helpline has received in the order of 750,000 calls, roughly one every 15 minutes, from men, or their partners who are struggling with access after separation, depression and mental health problems, or who are being unfairly treated by a system that seems rigged against them,” said Mr O’Connor. “These fathers just want to be able to see their kids and not have to go through a lengthy and expensive legal process.”