Thomas Mayo says Indigenous fathers are portrayed in media and racist cartoons as not caring about their children, and he adds that the 2007 intervention intensified those stereotypes.

Fatherhood researcher Richard Fletcher says the intervention left lasting damage and adds that the negative stereotypes increase the ordinary pressures of raising children for Aboriginal fathers.

SMS4DeadlyDads is a free text‑messaging service; more than 1,000 Indigenous fathers have signed up to receive information about pregnancy, child development, partner support and wellbeing.

Indigenous fathers like Thomas Mayo and Craig Hammond stress the importance of passing culture, knowledge and identity to the next generation, with Hammond noting that fathers help keep children connected to family, culture and country.

These persistent stereotypes make Indigenous dads feel scrutinised in public and add an extra burden to their everyday responsibilities, undermining the strong role they already play in their families.