Press Release

 

FNF calls for natural fathers to have the same rights as lesbian partners

 

Families Need Fathers welcomes, but with a very major reservation, the decision confirmed by the Court of Appeal that a Residence Order for the children be taken away from the biological mother and given to her former lesbian partner.

The biological mother in the case had, against the wishes of the courts, removed the children from where she and her ex-partner had effectively co-parented the children to where she presumably hoped to bring them up alone, or with another partner.

The court considered this to be against the welfare of the children and transferred the Residence Order to her former partner. She was considered the more child-centred ‘parent’, although she had no biological link.

John Baker, FNF Chair, commented.
 

“Children in divided families are regularly forced to move by the parent who has the Residence Order in order to obstruct the children’s relationship with the other parent. This should be considered unacceptable, whether the couple are gay or straight.

We welcome the transfer of the Residence Order to the carer who most respects the needs of the children.

But we do think that this principle should be applied to natural fathers too, and not be restricted to lesbians. There is some bizarre inverted prejudice in play here: a woman who has no biological link to a child has been given more rights than a natural father would have.”

 

-       ENDS – 

 

 

Families Need Fathers(FNF) is a registered 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. Our primary concern is the maintenance of the child’s relationship with both parents. Founded in 1975, FNF helps thousands of parents every year.

 

 

Please see Families Need Fathers ‘programme for change’ Father’s Day Manifesto