An innovative scheme is helping imprisoned dads and their children bond over play, fitness and shared meals – transforming family time beyond the confines of prison visits
Children of dads who are in custody at HMP Barlinnie in Scotland have taken part in a world-first programme that’s designed to connect the two.
It is the first time the pioneering Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids programme (HDHK), which was developed in Australia, has been run in a prison environment. It means children who until now may have only seen their fathers in the confines of a visit room, are getting to play together in more natural environments, and even sit down for dinner as a family.
The sessions have been developed by a research team from the Universities of Glasgow and Stirling and the University of Newcastle in New South Wales. Studies have shown that people in prison are at a higher risk of poor health, and similarly, that children of imprisoned parents have poorer health, education and offending outcomes compared to other children.
The eight-week programme was first delivered in HMP Barlinnie, followed by HMP Perth, and has so far involved 14 families with children aged five to 12. Weekly sessions for fathers have covered topics including positive parenting and raising healthy kids, before the dads are joined by their children for activities, from rough and tumble play and fitness to ‘fundamental movements’ like throwing, catching and bouncing.
One dad who took part said: “It’s been great to reconnect with my son in a way you probably cannot even put into words…”.
Prisoners playing with their children as part of the programme. Image: Scottish Prison Service
At the end of each session, the children and their fathers were able to sit and enjoy a meal as a family with their partner, or another family member, who had accompanied the children to the session.
“Just the simple fact the family are sitting down having a meal with you, using a table. It’s a completely different dynamic,” said one participant.
Due to the programme’s success, over two days in August, HMP Barlinnie staff trained a futher 23 colleagues from prisons around the country to run the programme in their locations.
HDHK continues in Barlinnie and will now be introduced to HMPs Low Moss, Shotts, Kilmarnock and Dumfries in the coming months.
The facts:
- British fathers spent more time with their children before the Industrial Revolution took them away from family life
- The number of stay-at-home dads in the UK has leapt by a third since before the Covid-19 pandemic
- Lockdown Fathers, a report from the Fatherhood Institute, found 78% of dads spend more time with their children, 59% did more housework and 65% reported a better relationship with their child or children after the spring 2020 lockdown
- One in nine stay-at-home parents are fathers, up from one in 14 in 2019
- Fewer than a third of eligible UK fathers take the two weeks of paternity leave they are entitled to
Main image: Kelli McClintock
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