One Family supports Yes Vote Call with Children’s Rights Alliance

Parents’ Organisations Slam Misinformation on Children’s Referendum

Mainstream parents’ organisations slam misinformation relating to the Children’s Referendum in Dublin today.  Urging all parents to vote YES in the Children’s Referendum on Saturday 10 November 2012, six parents’ organisations have come together to set the record straight. Chaired by Áine Lynch of the National Parents Council  Primary, the five other organisations are the Mothers’ Union (Olive Good); National Parents Council Post-Primary (Jackie O’Callaghan); One Family (Karen Kiernan); OPEN (Frances Byrne); and Treoir (Margot Doherty).

These mainstream groups have come together to dismiss claims by individuals and small groups, purporting to represent parents, that the Children’s Referendum is an attack on family and parents’ rights.  Parents and families are central to a child’s life. Each of the organisations believe that this referendum will help empower parents to ensure that the State upholds their child’s rights and are calling on all parents to vote YES on Saturday 10 November 2012.

 Speaking at the press conference, Áine Lynch of the National Parents Council Primary, says: “Affording children rights is not about diminishing the rights of parents or the family or indeed increasing the rights of the State. It is about society in Ireland making a statement of value about its children. The National Parents Council Primary urges people to get out and vote on November the 10th.  It is vital that, as a modern society, we give the strongest message possible that Ireland values its children.”

 Olive Good, of Mother’s Union, says: “The Children’s referendum represents a positive step in the State’s willingness to prioritise children by protecting them and ensuring their rights.”

Jackie O’Callaghan, of National Parents Council Post Primary, says: “The National Parents Council Post Primary is very pleased to support a YES vote in the forthcoming Children’s Referendum.  It is imperative that we now look to the future, learn from the mistakes of the past and safeguard our most precious resource: our children.”

Margot Doherty, of Treoir, says: “The Children’s Referendum, if passed, will mean that, for the first time, there will be a clear statement of children’s rights in the Irish Constitution.  Treoir believes that, inherent in these rights, are a child’s right to identity and to a relationship with both their parents.”

Frances Byrne, of OPEN, says: “The Children’s Referendum spells out the State’s duty to safeguard the rights of all children and, critically, it establishes the same threshold of protection to all children, regardless of whether their parents are married or unmarried.”

Karen Kiernan, of One Family, says: “We particularly want to welcome the proposed introduction of mandatory consultation with children in proceedings relating to them. Children are rarely consulted and there are no appropriate systems to do so. There are excellent models from other jurisdictions in how to appropriately hear children’s voices in court in a way that is meaningful for the child and helpful for the judiciary and parents.”

All six organisations are supportive of the Yes for Children campaign, which is led by Barnardos, the Children’s Rights Alliance, the ISPCC and Campaign for Children.

 

Listen to One Family founder Mary Kerrigan on Kildare FM

Kildare FM did a great interview with Mary  about what it was like to be a single parent 40 years ago on www.kfmradio.com. Go to Podcasting on the left hand side, then click on “Kildare Today” Podcasts, and you will see it there.

More parents share their stories with One Family

Thanks to Annette and Linda for sharing their stories of parenting alone and their experience of One Family. See more client stories here

 

Irish Independent features One Family founder’s story

The Irish Independent did a great interview with Maura Richards O’Dea, one of the orignal founders of One Family,

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/parenting/i-was-shunned-because-i-was-a-single-mum-3263786.html

Irish Times commends One Family founders

Fintan O’Toole has written a very moving tribute to the founders of One Family in today’s Irish Times – commending their bravery in refusing to be ashamed of being single mothers – and challenging the government to act with similar courage and lack of shame by refusing to accept bailing out Anglo and Nationwide

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/1023/1224325577694.html

One Family 40th makes RTE TV news

Happy 40th! One Family Founder Members – Ailen Mulhern, Evelyn Forde, Aileen Kelly, Nuala Feric, Karen Kiernan – Director One Family ,Mary Liddy, Mary Kerrigan, Annette Hunter Evans

Thanks to everyone who joined us in the Pillar Room at the Rotunda last night for a wonderful celebration of the work One Family/ Cherish has done over 40 years – and looking forward to what has yet to be achieved for better lives for one-parent families – see some of our impressive founders here on the RTE TV news at 17 minutes 25 seconds http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/10066711/

More clients’ stories for our 40th

 

Thanks to Katherine and Joanna for sharing their One Family experiences with us. We will be posting more stories from clients over the next week, to mark our 40th anniversary year.

One Family founder Maura O’Dea’s memoir now on Amazon

To mark the 40th Anniversary of Cherish/ One Family we’re delighted that Poolbeg Press has re-issued ‘Single Issue’ – the memoir of Cherish’s key founder Maura O’Dea Richards, as an eBook. See here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Single-Issue-ebook/dp/B009OJ8YGA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8 It only costs €5 and Maura is donating any profits to the charity. It is a great read – all about her memories of setting up Cherish and her own personal story.

Read our Clients’ Stories

Read our Clients’ Stories of how One Family helped them

To mark the occasion of our 40th, some of our clients have kindly shared their stories with us and we will be publishing them on the website all this week. See the first of them here, thank you to Marian Tannam and Rebecca for these stories.

Read about One Family founders in Irish Examiner 16th October

This interesting piece in today’s Irish Examiner explains how some brave single parents set up One Family, forty years ago, when things were very different in Irish society.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/alone-we-stood-210918.html