The project works in partnership with a local law firm, which has provided over £30,000 pro bono legal advice and representation to fathers in my constituency in south-east Wales. A quarter of fathers involved have gained or improved access to their children over the past year thanks to the initiative. Dads Can has received queries from across south Wales and even as far as London. What's become obvious is that, when fathers feel that they have nowhere else left to turn, they often turn to Dads Can. Just to go through some of the statistics—only a few: 94 per cent of dads have reported they feel more confident and better supported because of the scheme; 84 per cent feel that they have a better ability to influence their futures and manage change; and 79 per cent have now effectively engaged with other providers due to the intervention of the project at Monmouthshire Housing. 

The work not only provides a helping hand to fathers and their families, but much time is also spent running peer mentoring group sessions in the community, supporting other initiatives such as developing forest school sites, doing tasks such as gardening for the community, and also restoring historical woodland areas, such as dry stone walling, for instance, in the Wye Valley. In fact, on my most recent outing with the team, I was with a group of dads and their children who were planting bedding plants at a farm just outside Abergavenny. I even did end up doing a little bit of gardening myself, although, because I was in a suit, it did look highly inappropriate and, dare I say, a bit naff. If you're wondering why I had stains when I came into the Assembly afterwards, it was from my gardening experience. Next time, I shall go equipped with jeans and wellington boots.

Here are a few things that dads and partners have had to say about the scheme. Dawn Moore, first of all, from integrated family support services:

'I found Dads Can a very useful project for fathers who do not know where to start with support and are often reluctant to engage with support. Having a service dedicated to dads helps overcome stigma, it supports them to link up with other services, and ultimately can only help in supporting them to be better fathers for their children.'

Kay Perrott, from ETLP solicitors:

'Without a project like this many fathers are left with nowhere to turn and without the vital support that they desperately need.'

And dad, Ben Beynon, he said:

'This organisation means so much to me. If it wasn’t for Dads Can I wouldn’t have anyone to talk to in confidence for support morally and emotionally.'

The scheme has been recently recognised for the difference its progress has made across the Gwent area through being selected as a finalist for the UK housing award 2018 in the category of outstanding approach to equality and diversity. In fact, this debate was postponed from its previous scheduled slot, because I know the whole team were in London for that event, having been nominated for that. So, that was the reason why it was postponed. ITV news also recently covered the story and I was pleased to give an interview to them about my experiences talking to the team and also talking to the dads who have received so much support from it.

So, the project has gone from strength to strength in a very short space of time. It's been an immense success story to date, and I've been pleased to be involved with it, but what of the future? And this is where you come in, Minister. As well as already having spoken to you about the scheme—'Oh no', he says—up until now, I know you've been positive towards it. There are a couple of things I'd like to ask you in concluding this short debate. The funding for the project comes to an end early next spring. There is an application for a successor programme in the pipeline, called Family Man—not Family Guy, I hasten to add, but Family Man. That, I think, is already looking like it will be a very positive project for the future and an excellent successor to what we've seen hitherto. So, Minister, can I ask you to look favourably on successor programmes to projects like Dads Can so that the positive benefits of the past two years can be preserved moving into the future? 

Also, I think it would be beneficial if the Welsh Government looked at ways of building on the good practice that's been achieved and developed in my neck of the woods, so that other areas of Wales may also benefit from these types of projects, successor projects and similar schemes, whatever form other parts of Wales may want to look at implementing. 

In conclusion, Presiding Officer, I've been very pleased to be involved with this project to date. I very much hope it's success will continue and we can go on providing dads in Monmouthshire and across Wales with the support they and their children need now and in future.