They said it made them feel good just spending time creating something that they knew their little ones would really enjoy.
Most of the men have children under the age of 5, so these will come in very handy at dinner time and remind their children daily that dad loves them and is thinking of them.
“I just can’t believe I’m doing this!” said one dad, “it’s actually really fun and I’m thinking of my little girl choosing her favourite colours.”
“Thanks – this was wicked!” said another dad.
For the first Storytime sessions, everyone chose a storybook to record for their child with picks including “Guess How Much I Love You”, “Where is the Green Sheep” and “Time for Bed”.
One talented dad even played the guitar to back his story recording! It sounded amazing and it’s safe to say his child will love it.
After the recordings were made, we moved on in the later sessions to our craft workshop so that the dads could include a special extra Christmas gift in their Storytime packages.
The men were so absorbed in their colouring in and crafting that hardly a word was spoken during those sessions!
The only exchanges were to discuss what colour glitter pen to use for which part of the picture, it was a rare opportunity for the dads to engage in a relaxing and calm activity, essential for improved mental health.
These packages will help children stay connected with their dad in custody.
Connection improves outcomes for children and their parents. Children thrive when they feel loved, and family connection reduces recidivism for people in custody.
Storytime at Clarence Correctional Centre continues to be very popular with 34 storybooks being recorded in the past two months alone.
Please donate to our Storytime program so that more kids can get something extra special from their missed loved one.
Thank you to Serco for supporting our work at Clarence Correctional Centre.
Thank you to Dymocks Children’s Charities for supporting the Storytime program.
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