One Family Starts to Mark 40th Anniversary

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We used to be called Cherish and we’d love everyone who has been involved over the years – clients, staff, supporters – to join us for a big celebratory event in Dublin’s Pillar Room on the Thursday 18 Oct. We will be recalling the past, with some of the founder members of Cherish, and looking to the future as One Family.  The seminar will also be interspersed with voices of parents from over the years, audio footage and a short video. There will also be visual displays about the work of the organisation. Places are limited and will be strictly by invite only so if you’d like to come call 01 662 9212 or email  info@onefamily.ie.

For more information see here

 

 

 

 

No More Punishment for one-parent families

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No More Punishment for one-parent families – Smart Steps to equity

in Budget 2013

Media Release, Thursday 11 October 2012

Launching their solution-focused  plan to ensure income security for lone parents, Karen Kiernan, Director of One Family, Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families says ‘There can be absolutely no more cuts or changes aimed at lone parents in Budget 2013. They are still reeling from the cuts in last year’s budget which saw the poorest families and children becoming even poorer as a direct result of the ill-thought out changes. As a service provider, over the last year we have witnessed how such changes caused untold hardship to one-parent families, many of whom were already struggling, and further distanced lone parents from the labour market.’

One Family calls for the Government to take an equity approach to Budget 2013, addressing the need for a tailored income support system which would ensure a basic level of income security for lone parents so that everyone, regardless of circumstance, can live with dignity in Irish society.

Stuart Duffin, One Family Welfare to Work Manager explains, ‘We are asking Government and Minister Burton to listen to and reflect on the necessary steps, which include reversing some of the negative changes and introducing new positive ones.’

Here is a summary of the Smart Steps:

  • Introduce flexibilities into the Jobseeker’s Allowance system:  during school hours, lone parents should only be required to be available to work part-time rather than full-time.
  • Provide accessible, affordable and quality childcare.
  • Provide mechanisms for accessible specialised bridging and skill development programmes that reflect and respond to the complex needs of one-parent families.
  • Build and deliver a responsive Labour Market Agreement Plan that creates a bridging link between training and future employment of those parenting alone.
  • Commit to a gradual repurposing of the €500 million given to private landlords annually into the establishment of a sustainable social housing stock, beginning with an initial assessment of NAMA assets.
  • Promote and deliver in-work (tax) credits, in-work assistance and tackle the backlog of Family Income Support to ensure that ‘work pays and assistance works’.
  • Acknowledge that consistent and persistent child poverty is a concern in Ireland and prioritise that Budget 2013 adjustments have a duty of care to ensure social protection for those who are vulnerable.

Stuart Duffin concludes, ‘The best way forward is to set the foundation for a sustained recovery through strategic investments in our social safety net. Currently, the system is unfair and traps lone parents in poverty and unemployment. If our advice is not followed, any more piece-meal changes will do little more than transform an awful system into a bad one.’

For the full Ten Solutions Campaign click here

For the full One Family Pre Budget Submission click here

Ends

For more information contact:

Hilary Fennell, Communications Manager, One Family  T: 01 662 9212  M: 087 2359515

Stuart Duffin, Welfare to Work Manager, One Family T: 01 662 9212 M: 087-0622023

 

New website for Children’s Referendum

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A new website has been set up with information on the upcoming Children’s Referendum. It proposes to place a dedicated Article in the Constitution, which has children as its central focus.

www.childrensreferendum.ie

Managing Family Separation workshop 24th October

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One Family Parenting Co-ordinator Geraldine Kelly is giving a workshop on Managing Family Separation, for Dublin City Childcare Focus Group, it’s free of charge on Wednesday, 24th October from 6:00-8:30pm at Wynn’s Hotel, 35-39 Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1

Topics covered will include:

  • • The relationship between the childcare provider and parent
  • • Telling a child about family separation
  • • Supporting the child’s needs
  • • Impact on the parents (resident and non-resident)
  • • Moving on—parenting plans
  • • New family dynamics
  • • Contact centres & how to access them
  • • Family mediation

The closing date for booking is Friday, 19th October 2012. 01 222 3259 community.forum@dublincity.ie

What’s on in Dublin for you and your kids Sept to Nov 2012

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Dublin has plenty of events happening throughout Autumn for children and their families. Here are a few that you can check out:

v  Art Workshops for children can be found every Saturday at the National Gallery of Ireland from 15:00 onwards, and they’re free to go to.  Merrion Square West, Dublin 2.

v  On Thursday the 27 of September there will be a free children’s workshop for all ages in the National Library of Ireland, 2 Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

v  Niamh Sharkey the world renowned children’s book illustrator is hosting a Monster Doodle Workshop to launch the Children’s Book Festival on October 1st. Visit your local library or email info@childrenslaureate.ie for more information on how to take part.

v  Trio Time is an opportunity for young children and their grown-ups to make music together and to learn about different instruments in a relaxed, fun workshop. Learn & Explore musicians will tell participants about their instruments and demonstrate their special sounds. Participants will be invited to join in the music-playing through singing, moving and playing simple hand percussion.

10:30am 1 & 2 year olds
11:20am 3 & 4 year olds
12:10pm 5 & 6 year olds

These workshops can be found in the National Concert Hall · Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, Dublin and the price is €7.50 for an adult and €6.00 for a child. These classes run until the 29th of September 2012.

v  The Botanical Gardens have organised a “decorate your own pumpkin” competition, with a prize for the most imaginative entry. The competition runs from the 21st of October until the 5th of November. Only the skin is to be decorated and there can be no carving of the pumpkin in case it turns bad.

v  From the 28th of September until the 14th of October The Ark and Dublin Theatre Festival will be showing fantastic performances geared towards children aged 2-12 years. Below you can find a list of performance dates and a description of each performance. Tickets cost €10.00.

White   2-4 years                                                              28th September – 4th of October:

Here’s what the Ark has to say about the performance:

“Welcome to the beautifully strange world of White. Full of birdsong and birdhouses, it gleams and dazzles and shines in the night. Two friends look after the birdhouses and make sure the eggs stay safe. Their world is bright, ordered and white. But high up in the trees, all is not white. Colour appears. First red… then yellow… then blue…”

Ha Ha Ha 4+ years                                                          6th-7th of October:

A clowning performance that has had children and adults alike rolling in the aisles since its creation 10 years ago.

Mouth Open, Story Jump Out  8-12 years              9th-11th of October:

An interactive storytelling show and how and why we make things up.

Potato Needs A Bath  3-5 years                                 12th-14th of October:

A gentle and light-hearted new show for young children featuring fruit, vegetables and original music.

v  The Ark is a great centre found in Temple Bar that provides loads of fun and interesting activities for children and their carers. From Monday the 29th of October until Sunday November the 25th they will be opening The Telling Tall and Tiny Tales Experience. This is an interactive book experience with storytellers, workshops, and illustrators coming in different days to share their exciting world. Tickets are €4.00

v  On October 31st master storyteller Niall de Burca will be telling spooky tales for all the family at The Ark, Temple Bar. Tickets are at a first come, first served basis.