Single Father Support Groups 

The single father is a parent. He should reach out to an appropriate parent support group. He might want to go online and study the website of Parents Without Partners, Inc. Based in Chicago, their online presence can be found at www.parentswithoutpartners.org.

While caring for his children, a single father might well discover that a son or daughter has a particular health problem. He should then look for a support group that suggests how to care for a child with such a problem. There are many different groups for parents with children who have a particular medical condition.

Suppose, for example, that a father learns that a son or daughter has asthma. He should then contact either the Allergy Foundation of America or the Lung Line. He might also want to communicate with local parents who have an asthmatic child.

Suppose that a single father has a child with diabetes. He should then seek guidance from the American Diabetes Association, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International (JDFI) or the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse.

As his children enter their teenage years, the single father is apt to find reason to contact other support groups. If his child is about to become a licensed driver, the single father might want to contact the American Automobile Association, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association or the Auto Safety Hotline (800-424-8393).

A single father might discover that his daughter has developed an eating disorder. If that is the case, he needs to contact the appropriate support group. He should reach out to either the American Anorexia/Bulimia Association or the Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders (ANRED)

Perhaps the single father has reason to suspect drug use by a teenage son or daughter. .Cocaine Anonymous World Services has a toll-free number: (800) 347-8898. The single father can also find support by going online to the National Institute of Drug Abuse Helpline ( www.nida.nih.gov ).

Maybe the single father has general questions on about a son or daughter's health and development. There are organizations that stand ready to answer such general questions. A single father can contact the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Maybe the single father suspects child abuse by a friend or relative. He should not panic. He can find support by going online and visiting the website for the National Center for Assault Prevention ( www.ncap.org).

Suppose that a single father has been dating a woman, and has considered asking her to marry him. Such a decision would call for his children to become part of a step family. What would that mean for them? How should the single father talk to his children about any plans to invite them into a step family?

The single father might want to contact the Stepfamily Association of America. They provide interested single parents with information about step families. They also publish a newsletter. A single father can sign up for that newsletter by going to the association's website: www.stepfam.org.

The single father has diverse needs. He can find varied support groups.