Press Release | More Cherishing Needed for One-Parent Families
Press Release
More Cherishing Needed for One-Parent Families
The ESRI publishes analysis of inequalities among children in modern Ireland.
(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
- The full ERSI publication can be downloaded at this link http://www.esri.ie/publications/cherishing-all-the-children-equally-children-in-ireland-100-years-on-from-the-easter-rising/
- One Family’s Pre-Budget Submission can be read here.
- 1 in 4 families with children in Ireland is a one-parent family (Census 2011)
- There are over 215,000 one-parent families in Ireland today – 25.8% of all families with children (Census 2011)
- Those living in lone parent households continue to experience the highest rates of deprivation with almost 60% of individuals from these households experiencing one or more forms of deprivation (EU-SILC 2014).
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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
