One Family is currently recruiting for two roles based in Cherish House:
If you are interested in joining our team, please click here for details of both roles.
One Family is pleased to announce two new half-day workshops for professionals who work with families, parents and/or children:
This workshop explores how to build skills to support parents in practicing clear and direct communication in relation to common family dilemmas; using a non-violent communication framework; identifying communications styles; understanding the connection between needs and choices of behaviour; exploring the benefits and disadvantages of conflict within relationships and families; and more. Workshop places will be limited to twenty people, as they will be facilitated in a participatory workshop style, which actively engages participants.
This solution-focussed workshop will explore ways in which parents can be supported to talk with children about family change after a separation. It will enable professionals working with parents to support them in identifying the sometimes competing needs that are priorities for parents and children during the process of separation. It will explore behaviours a child may exhibit when needs are not met during a period of emotional transition, and support practitioners with the language to help parents talk with children about the concerns they have during separation. The workshop will explore moving on after separation, and what shared parenting really means. It will equip practitioners with knowledge of parenting plans which can hugely support parents to develop and agree a way forward to parent positively. It will also explore some myths of shared parenting, and examine the advantages of shared parenting for parents and children.
One Family has provided specialist family support services to diverse families since 1972 and understands the needs of professionals working with one-parent families, people who share parenting, and those experiencing separation. If you are a family support worker, social worker, youth worker, family therapist, educator, drugs project worker or counsellor, or deliver parenting/family supports and courses, our professional development programmes will help you to build on your skills, knowledge and approach.
Facilitated by Geraldine Kelly, our Director of Children & Parenting Services, Supporting Families in Conflict-Reducing Communication is booking now for Sligo on 29 November and Supporting Separating Parents to Successfully Share Parenting is booking now for Limerick on 2 December.
Registration details and further information can be found here.
As children mature into teenagers, innocent childhood crushes on school-friends can give way to more serious romantic interest. By the time your child reaches secondary school, you can support them with dating. It is better as a parent to support this than to forbid them and have your child sneak behind your back. Allow your child the comfort of being honest with you as they develop during this stage.
We offer advice on supporting your child through teenage dating:
This article is part of our weekly ’10 Ways to’ series of parenting tips, and is by One Family’s Director of Children and Parenting Services, Geraldine Kelly.
Find out more about our parenting skills programmes and parent supports. For support and information on these or any related topics, call askonefamily on lo-call 1890 66 22 12 or email support@onefamily.ie
Children are inquisitive. They love information. They ask constant questions because their minds are continuously processing everything they see and hear. Children come to their parents all the time to clarify the things they don’t really understand. As parents, we want to help our children learn and understand yet sometimes when they ask an ‘awkward question’ it is tempting to gloss over it.
There are so many issues that parents can find difficult to discuss with their children. Depending on our own experiences and beliefs, how ‘awkward’ a question is for us as individuals can vary hugely. For many parents, those awkward questions may include: “Where do babies come from? What is sex? What does gay mean? Why does he have two mammies? Why don’t I have a mammy? Why don’t I have a daddy? Why are some people homeless?”.
This week we offer ’10 ways to’ support us in answering those awkward questions:
This article is part of our weekly ’10 Ways to’ series of parenting tips, and is by One Family’s Director of Children and Parenting Services, Geraldine Kelly.
Next week we talk about teen relationships and sexuality.
Find out more about our parenting skills programmes and parent supports. For support and information on these or any related topics, call askonefamily on lo-call 1890 66 22 12 or email support@onefamily.ie.
Press Release
(Dublin, Tuesday 11 October 2016) One Family – Ireland’s organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting, and separating – responds to the study released today by the ESRI entitled ‘Cherishing all the Children Equally?’ which confirms the fact that children living in one-parent families are more likely to fare poorly as a result of living in consistent poverty.
Karen Kiernan, One Family CEO, states: “Research from Growing up in Ireland has found a consistent pattern of disadvantage for children living in one-parent families. There is a greater likelihood of welfare dependence, higher maternal stress and lower income among one- parent families. As well as having less financial resources, many one-parent families experience also experience less interpersonal resources as they just have less time available for family and parenting work. The authors of the research are clear that poorer outcomes are not inevitable and we believe that both family supports as well as sufficient financial resources will make the difference.”
Karen continues: “As we come to terms with yesterday’s Budget this research only further cements our belief that the Budget was a missed opportunity once again to address these issues. This Budget may make some difference for some families, but after so many years of consistent deprivation, is this enough? Not yet. It is not enough to fully tackle the unacceptable reality of lone parents and their children being amongst the poorest in our society today.”
The research indicated that growing up in a single-parent family structure does represent a source of inequality in children’s lives. One Family continues to speak out on behalf of these families and ensure that the Government fulfils their promise to lift the 120,000 children currently living in consistent poverty out of this unfair and unjust situation.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
/Ends.
About One Family
One Family was founded in 1972 as Cherish and is Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families and people sharing parenting, or separating, offering support, information and services to all members of all one-parent families, to those sharing parenting, to those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and to professionals working with one-parent families. Children are at the centre of One Family’s work and the organisation helps all the adults in their lives, including mums, dads, grandparents, step-parents, new partners and other siblings, offering a holistic model of specialist family support services. These services include the lo-call askonefamily national helpline on 1890 662212, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. One Family also promotes Family Day and presents the Family Day Festival every May, an annual celebration of the diversity of families in Ireland today (www.familyday.ie). For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie.
Available for Interview:
Karen Kiernan, One Family CEO | t: 086 850 9191
Further Information or to arrange an interview:
Jane Farrell, Communications Officer | t: 01 662 9212
Shirley Chance, Director of Communications | t: 01 662 9212 or 087 414 8511
One Family has summarised Budget 2017 changes which may be relevant to people parenting alone or sharing parenting, as announced on Tuesday 11th October 2016.
Basic Rate of Payment
Including One Parent Family Payment, Jobseeker’s Allowance Transition, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Carer’s Allowance and others.
This includes employment programmes such as CE, TÚS and Rural Social Scheme.
Proportionate increases in weekly payments for qualified adults will apply from March 2017 (applies to full rate payment recipients).
€5 weekly increase.
_______________________________________________
One Parent Family Payment & Jobseeker’s Transition
For those in employment, the weekly income disregard will increase from €90 to €110 from January 2017. This means that the first €110 of earnings will be ignored and half of the remainder of earnings will be assessed to give a new rate of One Parent Family Payment or Jobseeker’s Transition. Combined with the €5 basic rate increase, this should result in an increase of €15 per week for recipients of OFP and JST.
Income Disregard increased by €20 per week
_______________________________________________
Child Benefit
The current rate remains at €140 per month.
No change.
_______________________________________________
Fuel Allowance
Currently €22.50 weekly.
No change.
_______________________________________________
Back to Education Allowance
Cost of Education Allowance (re)introduced per annum for all parents in receipt of Back to Education Allowance.
€500 Cost of Education Allowance annually.
Back to Education Allowance to increase by €5 per week.
_______________________________________________
School Meals
Funding for School Meals being increased so that 50,000 extra children can benefit, further details to be received.
Widening of the scheme.
_______________________________________________
Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance
The allowance paid for each eligible child aged 4-11 is €100. The allowance paid for each eligible child aged 12-22 is €200.
No change.
_______________________________________________
Family Income Supplement
Household income thresholds remain at 2016 levels, and no qualifying hours criteria change.
No change.
_______________________________________________
Income Tax, PRSI and Universal Social Charge
Self Employed – Earned Income Tax Credit increased to €950.
Changes for self-employed.
USC – Three lowest bands each reduced by 0.5% and the €18,668 band raised to €18,772 from 1 January.
USC band changes.
_______________________________________________
Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
A proportionate €5 increase to Back to Work Enterprise Allowance and now accessible to Jobseekers moving to self-employment after 9 months, down from 12 months.
Proportionate €5 increase& eligibility expanded.
_______________________________________________
Minimum Wage
Increase to €9.25 from €9.15 per hour.
10c per hour increase.
_______________________________________________
Housing Assistance Payment
HAP – Additional €105 million (220% increase) for Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to accommodate an additional 15,000 households and a total of over 21,000social housing applicants in private rented accommodation.
Further details to be received.
Allocation increase.
_______________________________________________
Childcare
New – A new scheme, the Single Affordable Childcare Scheme, will commence in September 2017. It will provide means-tested subsidies, based on parental income, for children aged between six months and 15 years, and universal subsidies for all children aged six months to three years who are cared for by Tusla-registered childminders/care centres.
Households earning up to €47,500 net income will be able to avail of this subsidised childcare. The highest levels of subsidy will be provided to those on lower incomes, approximately €8,000 a year, based on the maximum of 40-hours childcare a week.
Single Affordable Childcare Scheme introduced.
_______________________________________________
ECCE Scheme
ECCE – There will be further roll-out of the Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme (ECCE) to apply to all children from age three until they start school.
ECCE Scheme expanded.
_______________________________________________
Medical Card
Medical card will be available for all children who receive Domiciliary Care Allowance. Prescription charges unchanged for those aged under 69.
Eligibility extended.
_______________________________________________
Christmas Bonus
Christmas bonus will be paid in December 2017 to long-term social welfare recipients (15 months or more)at a rate of 85% of their payment; this includes those on One-Parent Family Payment, Jobseeker’s Allowance Transition, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Back to Work Family Dividend, Carer’s Allowance, Disability Allowance, Widow/Widower’s/Surviving Civil Partner’s Pensions. This also includes employment and education programmes such as CE, JobBridge, Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, Back to Education Allowance, VTOS etc.
10% Increase.
_______________________________________________
For further information visit the official Government Budget page here
#Budget2017
Press Release
(Dublin, Tuesday 11 October 2016) One Family – Ireland’s organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting, and separating – welcomes the announcements of improved childcare supports, the €5 increases to the One Parent Family Payment (OFP) and Back to Education Allowance, increases in the Income Disregard level for the OFP and Jobseeker’s Transition (JST) rates, and the Cost of Education Allowance; but reacts overall to Budget 2017 as a missed opportunity to strategically support vulnerable one-parent families. All the recommendations from the recent NUIG report on Lone Parents and Activation, What Works and Why: A Review of the International Evidence in the Irish Context must be fully implemented particularly given the enormously high poverty rates experienced by these families: almost 60% of individuals from these households experience one or more forms of deprivation (EU-SILC 2014).
Karen Kiernan, One Family CEO, states: “We’ve long been calling for a restoration of income disregards and welcome this rise from €90 to €110 per week, along with some other long overdue announcements, but a full restoration to €146.50 per week is needed to support lone parents in work. And again we see no cohesive attempt to break down the barriers that one-parent families in receipt of social welfare payments still face, and nothing to acknowledge those who share parenting. Lone parents with children over 14 are still subject to full Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA) conditionality and in particular, a much harsher means testing of additional income despite the recent CSO release from Q2 showing that employment rates have dropped for lone parents with children aged 12-17. There has been no change to Family Income Support (FIS) criteria such as the hours reduction we have called for, a most simple and cost-effective way to support parents to access employment.
“People parenting alone want to contribute to society through employment, they want to further their education and get out of living in poverty, but are caught in the trap of week to week survival. This Budget may make some difference for some families, but after so many years of consistent deprivation, is this enough? Not yet. It is not enough to fully tackle the unacceptable reality of lone parents and their children being amongst the poorest in our society today. Cross-Departmental work to reverse cuts more positively is essential to ensure that the damage done over the past five years is reversed. The recipe for what is needed is in the NUIG research, and in our Pre-Budget Submission, and it must be fully implemented.”
Karen continues: “What is needed to lift these families out of poverty is not a mystery. Simply, we need targeted financial supports for poor children and investment in services; a childcare system that is accessible to poor children and families and available outside of school hours; a defined education pathway for people parenting alone; the ability to make work pay through in-work supports; and a system that can be clearly understood and is less complicated, both to payment recipients and the Department’s own staff in local offices, so that lone parents can trust that they will receive the support and guidance that is best for their families.”
One Family’s Pre-Budget Submission 2017 included recommendations designed to support lone parents into education and/or employment, while acknowledging their parenting responsibilities. There is now a golden opportunity for Government to give hope to disadvantaged one-parent families, through following the NUIG research recommendations, and through working with and listening to the mine of evidence and experience being put forward by One Family and other organisations. Every parent must have an equal opportunity to create a better future for his or her children.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
/Ends.
About One Family
One Family was founded in 1972 as Cherish and is Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families and people sharing parenting, or separating, offering support, information and services to all members of all one-parent families, to those sharing parenting, to those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and to professionals working with one-parent families. Children are at the centre of One Family’s work and the organisation helps all the adults in their lives, including mums, dads, grandparents, step-parents, new partners and other siblings, offering a holistic model of specialist family support services. These services include the lo-call askonefamily national helpline on 1890 662212, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. One Family also promotes Family Day and presents the Family Day Festival every May, an annual celebration of the diversity of families in Ireland today (www.familyday.ie). For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie.
Available for Interview:
Karen Kiernan, One Family CEO | t: 086 850 9191
Further Information or to arrange an interview:
Shirley Chance, Director of Communications | t: 01 662 9212 or 087 414 8511
Many parents would describe themselves as busy but do not recognise when they are stressed. Recently I have wondered if parents are more stressed than they realise. The logistics of keeping our children’s lives running smoothly is very stressful. Added stress can come with parenting alone or sharing parenting and being a working parenting can pile on even more stress. In these circumstances it would be impossible not to feel stressed.
In order to cope we often convince ourselves that we are just busy. Some of us can cope better with stress but others may hide it well. If you fail to address the issues causing you stress, problems can arise with your health, your relationships, your well-being, your friendships, your social life, or the most importantly of all, your relationship with our children.
Here are some tips to help us recognise and manage stress in today’s hectic world:
This article is by One Family’s Director of Children & Parenting Services, Geraldine Kelly, as part of our weekly series of parenting tips. You can read more tips here.
Find out more about our parenting skills programmes and parent supports.
Join the One Family Parenting Group online here