Our beginnings
One Family has been a force of change in Irish society since our foundation as Cherish in 1972; this year we celebrate our 50th Anniversary.
Our founders lobbied government officials and within a year of our establishment, achieved the introduction of the Unmarried Mother’s allowance (as it was called then, now the One Parent Family Payment). By 1977, the founders of Cherish had secured a Dublin headquarters and enlisted Mary Robinson as their president. Maura appeared on the Late Late Show, and won an Irish Times Person of the Year Award in 1975. In 1987, after many years of campaigning, Cherish celebrated the Status Of Children Act which abolished illegitimacy.
In 2003, in recognition of changes in Irish society, we extended our services to all members of all one-parent families and renamed ourselves One Family becoming Ireland’s national organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting and separating. Over our 50 year history, we have had successes, set backs and heartbreak including the passing of founders and staff and in many ways things have improved for the children and families we support but there remains much more to do.
Our future
One Family continues to work to make a positive and equal future for people parenting alone, sharing parenting and parenting around separation – changing attitudes, policies, services and lives. We are immensely proud to be given the opportunity to support one-parent families and want to thank all the families and individuals who place their trust in us.