One in eight separated fathers out of touch with children

A new study has shown that one in eight divorced or separated fathers has lost all contact with their children. It is thought that almost a million men in the UK have dependent children that don’t live with them, with almost 130,000 of these having no contact with them at all.

The figures are contained in a study by the National Centre for Social Research into the state of family life in Britain. It shows that despite moves to give fathers from broken families a greater role in their children’s lives, 97 per cent of parents with primary caring responsibility for children are still mothers.

The study also shows that fathers who have started new families in a subsequent relationship or marriage are also twice as likely to have lost touch with their older children.

A separate report published last year by the Centre for Social Justice think tank set up by Iain Duncan-Smith, also estimated that more than a million children are growing up in the UK without a father. It found some of the poorest neighbourhoods are devoid of men – meaning children are growing up without male role models.

The new study from the National Centre for Social Research found some 980,000 men with dependent children who don’t live with them – however, the organisation thinks this number is likely to be a substantial underestimate. Eloise Poole, from the Centre also said that economic factors play a part in parental contact: “Some fathers simply don’t have the financial resources, or spare bedrooms, to be able to maintain regular contact with their children.”

If you’d like information on divorce and child contact please contact Alistair Dobson at Lawson-West on 01858 445 480.

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