TOBY

 Toby’s Story - Dad’s Journey to Reuniting with His Son

For 4 long years, Toby, one of the dads we worked with had been separated from his child with no contact allowed. His son had been placed in foster care, and the chances of rebuilding their relationship seemed impossible.

When he began connecting with our Dads Worker he was struggling to demonstrate how different his life is now. Our team member met with him regularly, offering guidance, encouragement, and support to help him get to a place where he could take steps toward reconnecting with his son.

After building trust and stability, we worked together in partnership with social services. Over time, and with ongoing support, a case was made for removing the contact restrictions in order to be with his son again.

After what seemed an eternal wait his son agreed to meet up and our dads worker was right there beside him. They met at a McDonald’s - neutral ground, somewhere that felt safe for his son. Toby knew that to rebuild this relationship everything needed to be done at his son’s pace and only with his son’s decision making at its core. As soon as his son walked in, there was no hesitation. They hugged tightly, years of distance melting away in that one moment. It was the start of something new—a chance to rebuild, reconnect, and be a family again. 

(*Names of those involved have been changed)