Dads Group

09/10/2026

Happening now: fathers are on the agenda for every Maternal and Child Health service in Victoria.

We’re at The Dock in Docklands for the Victorian MCH Coordinators Group forum and AGM, the statewide group representing all 79 councils. Sam Cooke from City of Stonnington shaped this morning into a dads session, and it shows.

Dave Hawkins from City of Casey opened with DADS Matter. Our own Andrew Marmont followed with Parenting as Partners and DadConnect, told through the Stonnington story: mums bring dads in, and dads keep coming back. Thomas Docking closed with the national picture, including the Senate inquiry, with Blair Keeble also in the room for Dads Group.

A special thank you to Sam, who steps off the Exec after this meeting. Years of backing father-inclusive practice have led to a room like this one. When MCH services welcome dads, mums are supported, babies thrive and families are stronger.

If you’re an MCH coordinator who wants fathers on your service’s agenda, get in touch. We’d love to help.

08/10/2026

A huge thank you to Human Services SA for standing beside the Dads of Gawler. 💙

This is what father-inclusive support looks like: new and expectant dads meeting regularly, building confidence in parenting and early childhood, and looking out for each other through one of life's biggest transitions.

When you support a father, you protect a mother, safeguard a baby, and strengthen a whole family. We're proud to see this community growing in Gawler.

Know a dad in the north? Send him our way. 👇
dadsgroup.org

We’re proud to support dads in the north, who recently got a funding boost for the Dads of Gawler group.

New and expectant dads meet regularly with the support of our local Community Development Coordinator to build confidence and skills with parenting and early childhood development – all while combating social isolation and perinatal mental health.

08/10/2026

Dads, this one's for you too.

The Senate Select Committee on Women's Health is asking everyday Australians what support new parents really need. Fertility, postpartum care, maternal mental health, all of it.

Dads belong in that conversation. The early days of parenting are shared, and when a father is supported, a mother is protected, a baby is safer and a whole family is stronger.

You don't need to be an expert. Your experience is the evidence.

Make your submission before October 9: https://tinyurl.com/55s7k5kf

07/10/2026

Dads want to show up. Sometimes all it takes is one person inviting them in.

This is why Dads Group's Andrew Marmont sat down with the Maternal and Child Health nurses and midwives in Brimbank for a session on family-centred care, and what it looks like when dads are part of the picture from the very first visit.

The reality: 1 in 10 new dads experience postnatal depression, and for 96 per cent of mums, their first support contact is dad. When we support a father, we protect a mother and safeguard a baby.

Huge thanks to the Brimbank MCH team for leaning in. Small changes, like inviting dad by name and mentioning DadConnect at every relevant visit, send a big message: dads are welcome here.

Know a new dad who could use a crew? DadConnect runs free every first and second Monday night of the month on Zoom. Head to www.dadsgroup.org to get connected.

07/10/2026

A proud first for one of our local leaders! 👏

He ran his very first Dads Group intro session at MCH Phoenix Park in Stonnington this week, and in his words: "Great to hear the positive attitude of these new dads and the new journey that they are on."

This is what Dads Group is all about. Dads showing up for each other, one session at a time. Because when we stand beside a new dad, we help protect a mum, a baby and a whole family.

Know a new dad in Stonnington? Point him to dadsgroup.org 👉

06/10/2026

That's a wrap on Week 1 of Parenting as Partners, Cohort 4! 💙

On Monday night, we welcomed 9 dads and 9 mums to our couples session on Zoom, hosted by Andrew Marmont. Honest conversations about sleep logistics, sharing the load, and finding ways to help each other through the fullest seasons of family life. The biggest takeaway from the room: you're not alone, and every couple is navigating the same stuff.

Next up is Week 2, The Dad Debrief. Dads, this one's just for you. Monday on Zoom.

Join here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87067934052?pwd=65FiatZaxOUMELbSz3XDphUt5aLZ7W.1

05/10/2026

Nobody asked me anything. Until now.

For a lot of new dads, those first weeks go by without a single question about how they're travelling. That's changing. The Senate Select Committee on Women's Health is inviting submissions, and dads' experiences belong in the picture. When a father is supported, a mother is protected, a baby is safer and a whole family is stronger.

If you're a dad, the Senate wants to hear what would have helped you in those early days. No research required, no perfect writing. Your story is enough.

Submissions close October 9. Share yours here: https://tinyurl.com/55s7k5kf

29/09/2026

A huge thank you to Baby Mum-Mum for backing our 10th year of Man With A Pram!

Their support helps us bring dads, prams and communities together, one step at a time. From first-time dads to seasoned pros, every walk is a little easier with good people (and good snacks for the little ones) behind us.

We're grateful to have you walking alongside us, Baby Mum-Mum!

28/09/2026

Are men being overlooked in perinatal health? Would screening dads alongside their partners make a difference?

That's the question in this week's ABC News story, off the back of the Federal Government's call for dads to share their stories with the Senate Select Committee on Women's Health.

Our founder and CEO Thomas Docking's take: "A dad doesn't learn fathering from an app or a report. He learns it with his baby in his arms, alongside other dads doing the same thing. A father with capability equals a mother with capacity: someone who can take the 3am settle, notice when she's not okay, and get her or their baby some help."

"A supported dad is a supported mum. The model that does it is built, it's inside the health system, and it's ready for every maternity service in the country."

Read the ABC News story on the proposal to screen dads alongside their partners: abc.net.au/news/2026-09-24/calls-for-more-mental-health-support-for-fathers/107184390

Thanks to Assistant Minister Ged Kearney, Dan Repacholi MP and Senator Marielle Smith for putting fathers on the agenda.

27/09/2026

Dads, the Senate wants to hear from you.

This week Assistant Minister Ged Kearney, Special Envoy for Men's Health Dan Repacholi MP and Senator Marielle Smith called on dads, partners and the people who work with them to share their stories with the Senate Select Committee on Women's Health.

Why does a women's health inquiry want to hear from fathers? Because the Committee's terms of reference deliberately cover physical and mental health support for mothers AND their partners after birth, and the evidence is clear: when fathers are engaged and supported, mothers do better too.

The release puts it plainly: 1 in 10 dads experience postnatal depression, and 80% of fathers have never received formal parenting support.

For twelve years Dads Group has heard the same thing from fathers and father figures: "I wanted to help carry the load for my partner and our baby, and nobody showed me anything helpful." That's why we co-designed the Integrated Model of Care with midwives and child health nurses, and why it now runs inside a Queensland Hospital and Health Service, with fathers registered alongside mothers from pregnancy.

Dads Group will be making a submission. If you're a dad, we'd love you to make one too.

Submissions close 9 October: aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Womens_Health

Media release: ministers.dss.gov.au/media-releases/19346