Naomi Connolly from One Family’s Advocacy Project tells Social Inclusion Forum about her experience as a lone parent and changes she wants government to make

For immediate release
Thursday 8th May 2025

Naomi Connolly, a parent representative in One Family’s Advocacy Project, today told the Social Inclusion Forum of the myriad barriers lone parents face when returning to education to try and build a better life for themselves and their children. Naomi has three children and has been parenting alone for 10 years. She returned to education five years ago and has just completed her thesis in Social Care.

In a powerful speech to attendees, Naomi outlined her experience as a lone parent, the difficulties facing her returning to education to improve her employability and lift her family out of poverty and the need for government to provide targeted and adequate supports for lone parents returning to education. One Family welcomed the invitation from the Department of Social Protection for Naomi to speak at the Social Inclusion Forum and called on government to urgently address this issue as well as the chronic deprivation facing the majority of one-parent families in Ireland, with the following actions:

Adopt an ‘education first’ approach providing tailored, long term supports to lone parents who wish to return to education including: enhanced financial grants, a public childcare model with free/heavily subsidised places for children of one-parent families, improved support and flexibility for lone parents when participating in course related mandatory work placements.

Mainstream the One Family New Futures Employability Programme which is an award winning, specialised bridging programme designed specifically for lone parents who wish to return to education and employment from social welfare

Exclude child maintenance payments from secondary benefits including the means test for the SUSI grant, Students Assistance Fund, the National Childcare Scheme, for Social Housing assessments and Local Authority rents.

Naomi Connolly, Parent Representative, One Family Advocacy Project said:

“When my marriage ended, our lives turned upside down. It was so hard trying to figure everything out and make sure my children have the life they deserve. I took a risk going back to education. I wasn’t sure how we would manage and really, a lot how we did manage was down to luck, help and support from my college and from different charities along the way. I am almost out the other side and now I can see a better future for us all, but it shouldn’t have been this difficult. It should never be a risk to return to education but for lone parents, it is.”

Carly Bailey, Policy Manager at One Family said:

“The odds are stacked against one-parent families and without government intervention, this will not change. Returning to education as a lone parent is daunting and demanding, but systemic barriers mean completing that education often feels impossible. It’s critical that government provides targeted, ongoing supports for one-parent families returning to education to ensure lone parents can complete their courses and succeed, including; improved financial support, flexible learning options and delivering a public system of early childhood education and care to remove the critical barriers faced by lone parents returning to education. Targeted measures not only empower parents, but they can also break the cycle of generational poverty as children experience better outcomes in terms of health, education, income and overall well-being.

There are almost 220,000 families headed by a lone parent in Ireland and CSO statistics2 tells us that almost half of all one-parent families are living in enforced deprivation. Returning to education can be a vital step for a lone parent to lift their family out of poverty, but too many lone parents are prevented from doing that because of the lack of supports available to them on that journey; we are calling on government to change that and put in place the supports needed to give lone parents the best chance at success.”

Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family

“Through our new Advocacy Project, we were able to link Naomi with this opportunity to speak at the Social Inclusion Forum, to have her experience as a lone parent to be heard by the Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary, senior Department officials as well as other civil society organisations.

It is critical that the lived experiences of one-parent families are listened to, recognised and valued in the spaces where policy and legislative changes can occur. While Naomi’s experiences are unique, there is a universal theme at play due to structural barriers faced by so many who parent alone: enforced deprivation for one-parent families, the struggle to survive day-to-day and the nearly impossible journey for a lone parent to navigate a return to education, along with their caring responsibilities and economic provision for their children.
These barriers are not unbreakable; they were designed by our systems and can be dismantled by our systems. We are calling on government, and specifically Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary, to use equitable, evidence-based policy making to improve the lives of one-parent families by ensuring every parent and child has a decent standard of living and can afford to have their basic needs met.”

[ENDS]

Available for interview: Naomi Connolly, Parent Representative of One Family’s Advocacy Project; Carly Bailey, Project Manager, One Family; Karen Kiernan, CEO, One Family

For more information, please contact Vicky Masterson, One Family Communications Manager on 083 447 0645 / vmasterson@onefamily.ie

Notes to Editor:

One Family’s Advocacy Project aims to embed the experience and voice of one-parent families in the areas where policy and legislation changes occur. The project gives lone parents an opportunity to share their experience and perspective on the social and economic challenges facing one-parent families and advocate for the changes needed to improve their lives. Panel members are given the opportunity to work with One Family to develop our policy and advocacy work and also with decision makers in the Dáil, our local councils, government departments and in Europe, as opportunities arise. This 2-year project is funded by UBIDAC via The Community Foundation of Ireland.

One Family Ireland was founded in 1972 as Cherish and is Ireland’s national 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 askonefamily national helpline on 0818 66 22 12, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie. The askonefamily helpline can be contacted on 0818 66 22 12 or 01 662 9212 or helpline@onefamily.ie.

The Social Inclusion Forum is an annual national event hosted by the Department of Social Protection. It provides people affected by poverty and social exclusion, as well as the community organisations representing them, the opportunity to come together with officials from relevant Government Departments and the Minister for Social Protection to discuss poverty and social inclusion policy and related issues of common concern. It also allows for discussion about the implementation of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion, the national strategy for poverty reduction and improved social inclusion. The event is organised by the Social inclusion Division, with the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) Ireland and Community Work Ireland (CWI) as event partners.

One Family joins 16 international organisations to launch new #SingleParentCommunity campaign

Friday 21^st March 2025
For immediate release

To mark international Single Parents Day, One Family has partnered with Trinity College Dublin and Glasgow Caledonian University to launch a new campaign highlighting the history, lived experiences and misconceptions facing one-parent families, and to call on governments globally to develop better policies to support one-parent families.

The #SingleParentCommunity campaign includes an international group of historians, policymakers and NGOs, led by Glasgow Caledonian University and Trinity College Dublin, and funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council. To launch the campaign, a powerful new short animation Time for a New Chapter, produced by Media Co-op, has been released, reflecting the history and the lived experiences of single parents, the pride and strength in single parenthood, and the misconceptions that many lone parents face.

This new campaign is calling on government in Ireland, and internationally, to develop adequate policies to support one-parent families including:

Affordable childcare
Secure housing and financial stability
Fairer social security and greater respect

Members of the public are also encouraged to share their ideas of how governments can better support one-parent families at https://www.vopfn.org/timeforachange.

The project was co-produced with network members including Dr Janet Greenlees, Reader in Health History at Glasgow Caledonian University, Professor Lindsey Earner-Byrne of Trinity College Dublin, Karen Kiernan, CEO One Family and Terese Edwards of the National Council for Single Mothers and their Children, Australia.

TCD Prof of Contemporary Irish History, Lindsey Earner-Byrne said:

“Bringing historical research together with contemporary policy and NGO expertise was extremely powerful in enabling us to see the roots of the contemporary challenges faced by single parent families. We could track the punitive response of the workhouses of the 1830s through to the stigmatisation of lone parents in need of state support now. It became very clear to us that if Ireland centred the single parent in its policies, then all other families would benefit. In essence, this collaborative animation came out of our collective insights about the resilience of single parent families and the degree to which the historic shadow of stigma, blame and marginalisation persists. We want to stress that it is time for a new chapter!”

Karen Kiernan, CEO One Family said :

“We are delighted to have collaborated on the development of this important animation highlighting the joy and challenges of parenting alone. We plan to use this video to inform policymakers working to change hearts, minds and policies so that one-parent families can be supported to move out of poverty and into lives of dignity.

One in four families with children in Ireland are one-parent families, including over 356,000 children. One-parent families across Ireland continue to face severe financial hardship, as demonstrated by recent CSO figures, and deprivation is increasing for many families who are struggling to survive. On International Single Parents Day, we are calling on our government, and specifically Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary, to use evidence-based decision making and targeted payments for the poorest children who live in one-parent families.”

[ENDS]

Available for interview: Lindsey Earner-Byrne, Professor of Contemporary History, Trinity College Dublin / Karen Kiernan, CEO One Family

For more information, please contact Vicky Masterson, One Family Communications Manager on 083 447 0645 / vmasterson@onefamily.ie

Notes to Editor:

The Vulnerability & One Parent Family Network (VOPFN) is a shared forum for historians, archivists and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) working on one-parent families in the OECD countries of England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Through participatory research it draws upon the collective insights and expertise of this group to explore the similarities and differences between these NGOs and the role of history in contemporary and future one-parent family policy and experience. The network was established through a grant from the Arts and Humanities Research
One Family Ireland was founded in 1972 as Cherish and is Ireland’s national 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 askonefamily national helpline on 0818 66 22 12, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. For further information, visit onefamily.ie. The askonefamily helpline can be contacted on 0818 66 22 12or 01 662 9212 or helpline@onefamily.ie.”

Lindsey Earner-Byrne is the Professor of Contemporary Irish History and the Director of the Centre for Modern and Contemporary Irish History at Trinity College Dublin. She has researched and published widely on modern Irish history with a particular focus on poverty, welfare, gender, sexuality, health and vulnerable and marginalised groups. Most recently she has co-authored a history of Ireland’s abortion journey with Professor Diane Urquhart of Queen’s University Belfast, The Irish Abortion Journey, 1920-2018 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019). She narrated and co-authored documentary Forgotten: The Widows of the Irish Revolution(RTÉ One, May 2022), short film on gender violence during the Irish Civil War for Mná100, and was on the UCC editorial team for RTE’s landmark three part series The Civil War (2022).

Video links:

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1060925212/08ac1dc373

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQZ2P49eghg

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Grim statistics for one-parent families in Ireland once again show that Government policies designed to tackle poverty are failing

One Family, Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families, has warned the rise in poverty rates in lone-parent families, (“single-adult households with children”), show Government policies designed to tackle poverty are failing. The warning comes as the latest Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) for the year 2024 published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) today confirms a pattern of consistent deprivation in one-parent families, rising to 46.3% from 41.4% in 2023. Once again, in 2024, the CSO Survey identified single-adult households with children under 18, as the most impacted families in Ireland. .

Lone parents across Ireland continue to face severe financial hardship. In 2024, over seven in ten reported difficulties in making ends meet. The data shows an increase in deprivation across key areas such as the inability to afford a Sunday family meal, new clothes and heating. Most stated they could not cope with unexpected expenses without borrowing.

Living standards for these one-parent families remain fragile. Almost half experienced enforced deprivation, one in four had arrears on mortgage or rent payment, and more than a third were were behind on utility bills and went into debt to cover everyday living expenses in 2024.

Last year’s findings once again highlight the persistent economic and social vulnerability of one-parent families in Ireland in recent times. From working with lone and separated parents and their children on a daily basis, these grim statistics are all too familiar to One Family, Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families. The charity is calling on Government to urgently introduce targeted supports for these struggling parents and children.

QUOTES

Carly Bailey, One Family Policy Manager said,

“The CSO SILC data should be a wake-up call to the new Government. Unlike other groups, one-parent families have an increased deprivation rate, up a staggering 11% compared to last year. Worryingly, this tells us that almost half of all one-parent families are living in enforced deprivation (46.3%), a rate that is almost three times greater than it is for two-parent families (16.2%).

This comes as no surprise to us in One Family as this data fully reflects the growing numbers of families that have contacted us concerned about how to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.

We are calling on the new Government to acknowledge that this cannot continue. We ask that Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary, meet with us as a matter of urgency to allow us to outline the targeted and long-term actions needed to ensure lone parents and their children do not go without heating, food and clothing again this year.”
Karen Kiernan One Family CEO said,

“There are a number of measures that must be taken if we are ever to see deprivation and poverty rates for one-parent families begin to decline. This includes greater supports to enable lone parents to access education and employment and improved support to be able to afford childcare, to name just a few. It is time for Government to acknowledge that it is simply not possible for one parent to afford the basic needs of a family in contemporary Ireland, especially those on a lower income.

One Family are ready and willing to work with the Government and relevant Ministers to ensure that they put in place evidence-based supports to ensure we see deprivation and poverty levels among one parent families fall. It doesn’t need to be this way, these disproportionately high levels of deprivation and poverty are not inevitable but are a result of policy decisions. Let us throw these children and families a lifeline, and support them to live with dignity and opportunity.”

ENDS

——————–

FURTHER INFORMATION

Key findings in the Enforced Deprivation Results from the Survey on Income and Living Conditions reveal:

“The groups most likely to experience enforced deprivation in 2024 were those living in single-adult households with children under 18 (46.3%); unable to work due to long-standing health problems (38.5%); unemployed (37.8%); and those living in rented or rent-free accommodation (31.5%).

The research also states that while,

“[…] CSO’s SILC 2024 show an overall decrease in the percentage of people experiencing deprivation in 2024. The release also highlights the higher incidence of deprivation amongst certain groups such as single-adult households with children […].

It further states that,

“More than seven in ten (73.0%) single-adult households with children under 18 had at least some difficulty in making ends meet in 2024, with two in ten (21.5%) reporting with great difficulty. In comparison three in ten (30.9%) households composed of two adults […].”

Detailed analysis of deprivation rates shows that,

– “the percentage of people living in households composed of a single adult with one or more children under 18 years who were unable to afford a roast joint (or its equivalent) once a week went up from 7.5% in 2023 to 13.5% in 2024, similar to their 2022 rate (12.1%).”
– “The percentage of people living in households composed of single adult with one or more children under 18 years who were unable to afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish, (or vegetarian equivalent) every second day also increased, going from 4.6% in 2023 to 8.0% in 2024.”
– “one in five (22.7%) people living in single-adult household with children were unable to afford new (not second-hand) clothes, five times the rate (4.4%) for people living in two-adult households with one to three children.
– “one in five (13.0%) people in single-adult households with children went without heating through lack of money”
– “Almost half (46.7%) of people living in single-adult households with children were unable to afford to replace worn out furniture.
– “almost eight in ten (77.4%) people in single-adult household with children live in a household that could not afford an unexpected expense of €1,500 without borrowing.”

The research concludes that, in terms of living standards and the the ability make ends meet,

– “Almost half (46.3%) of people living in single-adult households with children were living in enforced deprivation“, which is defined as experiencing two or more areas of deprivation in life. This compares to a much lower rate for “people living in two adult households [who] were the least likely to be living in enforced deprivation (6.9%).”
– only “14.8% of single-adult households with children could maintain the same standard of living for at least three months if they were to lose their income sources.”
– “One in four single-adult households with children had arrears on mortgage or rental payments” and “were the most likely to have missed at least one mortgage, rent, utility or other loan repayments, in the previous 12-month period.”
– “one in four (25.6%) of single-adult households with children had arrears on mortgage or rental payments. Four in ten (38.7%) had arrears on utility bills and one in four (24.0%) had hire purchase instalments or other loan payment arrears.”
– “more than half (54.4%) of single-adult households with children regarded housing costs as a heavy burden, compared with approximately one in seven (13.8%) households composed of two adults”
– “nearly three in ten (29.0%) single-adult households with children went into debt to meet ordinary living expenses in 2024″

SOURCES

Link for data and quotes above: Central Statistics Office, Enforced Deprivation Results from the Survey on Income and Living Conditions for 2024, published 11 March 2025, accessible online here.

For press inquiries or to arrange an interview with our spokespeople,

contact us here.

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The Skill of Clear and Direct Communication

One Family is delighted to announce the relaunch of our newly updated and redesigned e-learning course, The Skill of Clear & Direct Communication. This course has been carefully developed to support parents in understanding healthy conflict and building positive relationships. Whether you are parenting alone, sharing parenting or navigating post-separation challenges, this programme offers essential tools to enhance your communication skills.

Why Take This Course

Clear and direct communication is the foundation of all healthy relationships. This programme equips parents with the skills to communicate assertively with their children, reducing conflict and misunderstandings – you will then find that the positive impact resulting from this will improve your general wellbeing and quality of life.

For people going through a separation or settling into a new life in the aftermath of a family break-up, this course provides guidance on maintaining effective communication with the other parent, ensuring that important conversations remain constructive and focused on the wellbeing of the child.

Designed as a standalone course, The Skill of Clear & Direct Communication is also a great introduction to our other parenting programmes. Alternatively, it serves as a valuable follow-on course, reinforcing key concepts that support positive family interactions.

What To Expect

This course is structured into five modules, guiding participants through a step-by-step journey of self-reflection, choice and use of communication styles, emotional awareness and practical application.

The key areas covered include:

Ways to Communicate – In this module you will learn about different approaches to communication and how to adopt a more effective, assertive style.
Emotions and Needs – This module will help you explore the connection between emotions, needs and behaviours in communication and interactions, and how to develop techniques for self-care and emotional resilience.
Managing Conflict – The content in this module will enable you to discover and create new ways to express yourself clearly, negotiate compromises effectively and approach disagreements with confidence.
Practicing New Skills – Here you will learn how to apply your new skills to your every-day life, by working through real-life scenarios where you exercise what you have learned and see how it benefits your family dynamic.
Reflection and Next Steps – In this last module, you will consolidate your learning and identify ways to continue developing your communication skills in your daily life.

How It Works

This programme is designed to be completed at your own pace, at your convenience and from the comfort of your home. You will have access to video content devised and produced by One Family‘s experienced staff, alongside additional learning resources to support your progress.

To gain the most from the course, we recommend setting aside approximately 40 minutes per day over a few weeks. Each unit takes around 20 minutes to complete, with optional exercises and journaling activities to deepen your learning. By engaging fully with the programme, you will not only develop new skills but also create meaningful changes in your relationships.

How To Enrol

The Skill of Clear & Direct Communication course is available for just €24.99, and provides unlimited continuous access to course content and resources. Whether you are looking to improve communication with your children, strengthen co-parenting interactions or simply gain confidence in expressing yourself in your day-to-day social interactions, this course offers practical, tried-and-tested strategies that can be applied in all areas of life.

Learn more about how to enrol, register and pay
for the course by watching the explainer video below.

Discover our full range of parenting e-learning courses here.

If you are ready to take the first step towards healthier relationships and improve your parenting experience, click below to access a preview of the course and complete the enrolment process.

Share this post with someone who might be interested in taking this course.

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One Family is calling on parents from one-parent families across Ireland to help shape a brighter future by joining our Media Panel and Advocacy Panel. Together, we can ensure your voices are heard, stories are shared, and real change happens.

Join Our Media Panel: Share Your Story, Inspire Others

Journalists frequently seek stories from those parenting alone, co-parenting or navigating separation, and your voice matters!

We’re building a Media Panel of parents willing to share their journeys, either openly or anonymously. By sharing your experience, you can:
✔ Amplify the voice of one-parent families and highlight the diverse experiences of these families in Ireland.
✔ Empower yourself and others by making a difference for others who cannot speak out.

Join Our Advocacy Panel: Be the Voice for Change

This is your chance to inform decision-makers about the unique challenges you and your children face and push for better supports for one-parent families in Ireland. Through our Advocacy Panel, you can make your voice heard on policies directly affecting your daily lives.

Our advocacy work empowers you to:
✔ Influence Irish society and policymakers to address the real issues affecting families like yours.
✔ Gain skills, confidence, and connections to advocate for one-parent families.

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Learn more here

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One Family, Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families, has been running a suite of specialist employability courses and programmes aimed at lone parents in Ireland for over 15 years. Its award-winning employability programme, which was twice recognised in the AONTAS STAR Awards for excellence in adult and community education is open to new applications for 2025 dates.

New Futures, an innovative employability programme run by One Family Programmes Service , has an average 75% participant progression rate to education and employment after course completion. The programme itself is but one of the ways in which we empower parents to progress personally and professionally. Parents often tell us that they don’t feel the challenges they face are understood in society – until they come to One Family. We are passionate about empowering and supporting lone parents to reach their education and employment goals.

‘Our New Futures employability programme is such a success because we understand the unique challenges that lone parents can face when considering a return to education and employment. As a trusted and specialised service, this bridging programme has been designed by us to take account of the parenting responsibilities lone parents have, to support them in learning new skills and build the confidence they need to progress towards secure, well-paid employment opportunities.’

— Valerie Maher, Programmes Manager, One Family

We were delighted that our New Futures Employability Programme again won the Aontas STAR award for projects funded by the European Social Fund in 2023, having previously won the same in 2019.

We are currently recruiting for our next programmes commencing February 2025, when the New Futures Employability Programme will be available as an online self-paced programme or through live delivery of online classes, two mornings per week. We will also provide in-person classes at a location in Dublin city centre from September 2025. Parents interested in participating in the programmes starting in February 2025 can contact Niamh by e-mailing: programmes@onefamily.ie.

Read what former participants have to say about their experience on this course:

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View and share our poster for upcoming courses

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Download here here.

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20 December 2024

An innovative EU funded pilot programme supporting lone parents in the northeast of Ireland into education and employment was delivered in partnership between national voluntary sector organisation One Family and the Department of Social Protection (DSP) from 2021 to 2024.

75% of participants successfully progressed from these specialist bridging programmes designed for lone parents on social welfare according to One Family’s Annual Report 2023.

QUOTES

Karen Kiernan, One Family CEO, said,

“One Family have been running our specialist New Futures Employability Programme for 15 years. This highly successful programme was tested in the northeast region with the local DSP Intreo services in an innovative project where parents were offered courses from either their local Education & Training Board or with One Family.

“We were delighted with the strong rates of progression to education and employment for 75% of the parents One Family worked with – these are very high rates for community education courses and speak to our specialist approach of individual support, parenting, practical and therapeutic supports, as needed.

“We were also delighted that our New Futures Employability Programme again won the Aontas STAR award for ESF funded projects in 2023, our second time winning.”

“We are delighted to have new short term funders until June 2026 for our Employability Programmes including Rethink Ireland, the Beachaire Fund and Community Foundation Ireland, but what we really need is a strategic, long term, multi-annual investment from the State to ensure parents all over Ireland can access this award winning and highly successful programme on an ongoing basis. Parents should not have to rely on private funders and a postcode lottery to access training to lift them out of poverty and into sustainable careers.”

Carly Bailey, One Family Policy Manager, said,

“We are calling on the next Programme For Government to include a commitment to rolling out this award-winning programme nationwide. This would not only target state resources using an evidence-based approach but also demonstrate that the next Government is serious about tackling the unacceptably high levels of child and family poverty that exists in Ireland today.”

Valerie Maher, One Family Programmes Manager, said,

“Our New Futures employability programme is such a success because we understand the unique challenges that lone parents can face when considering a return to education and employment. As a trusted and specialised service, this bridging programme has been designed by us to take account of the parenting responsibilities lone parents have, to support them in learning new skills and build the confidence they need to progress towards secure, well-paid employment opportunities.

“But some good news is that we are currently recruiting for our next programmes commencing early next year. From February 2025, the New Futures Employability Programme will be available as an online e-learning programme or through live online classes two mornings per week. We also intend to return to face-to-face classroom delivery of our programmes in Dublin city centre from September 2025. Parents interested in participating in programmes starting in February 2025 can contact Niamh for further information at programmes@onefamily.ie”

_____________________________________

New Futures Employability Programme participant, Caroline had this to say about the course and One Family’s approach:

“As a single parent, I have always struggled to balance the demands of parenting and pursuing my own personal and professional growth. However, this programme has truly been a game-changer for me and has opened a world of opportunities that I never thought possible.

One of the most valuable aspects of the programme is the group training delivered two mornings per week online. The sessions are engaging, informative, and empowering. Through interactive workshops, group discussions, and practical exercises, I have gained valuable insights into various aspects of personal growth, such as self-confidence, communication skills, and resilience. The trainer was highly knowledgeable and skilled at creating a supportive environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their experiences and learning from one another and, on a week-to-week basis, friendships developed.

Another highlight of the New Futures Programme is the individual 1:1 key-work sessions. These sessions provided personalised help, support and guidance tailored to my specific needs and goals. The keyworker I was assigned was incredibly supportive, offering valuable insights, helping me identify my strengths and interests, who championed me every step of the way and assisted me in creating a clear career plan. The individual attention I received made me feel valued and motivated to pursue my aspirations.

Since completing the New Futures Programme, I have experienced a tremendous transformation in my personal and professional life. Not only have I acquired new skills and knowledge, but I have also gained a renewed sense of confidence and self-belief in myself.

Without this programme, I don’t think I would have the confidence to really reach the personal accomplishments that this course has given me. The programme has helped me realize my full potential and given me the tools to navigate the job market with a clear vision of my career goals. I cannot recommend the New Futures Programme enough. It is a truly life-changing opportunity for single parents and those sharing parenting responsibilities.”

For Editors

One Family was founded in 1972 as Cherish and is Ireland’s national 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.

Further Information

One Family’s partnership with the Department of Social Protection and European organisations in Greece and Finland to support lone parents towards employability and social inclusion commenced in 2021 and concluded in April 2024. The project was funded by the European Social Fund ESF+ Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) programme.

Community Foundation Ireland and the Beachaire Fund commissioned research on the impacts of community education in supporting lone parents to fulfil their potential in education, employment, and society, undertaken by Centre for Effective Services and based on eight case studies of lone parents participating in community education programmes delivered by organisations across Ireland, including One Family. The research found that lone parents who complete community education are highly likely to progress to further and higher education, training and paid employment and the importance of wraparound supports was also highlighted. One of the final recommendations was to utilise community education to respond to employment needs and skills gaps by scaling up employability programmes targeted at lone parents, including by building on the success of the One Family’s New Futures Employability Programme.

Link to Beachaire Fund research on community education: onefamily.ie/media-policy/research-reports

Link to One Family Employability Programmes: onefamily.ie/education-development/employability

Link to One Family Annual Review: onefamily.ie/wp-content/uploads/Annual-Report

For press inquiries or to arrange an interview with our spokespeople,

contact us here.

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One Family recently concluded a transformational project that has greatly improved how we operate, enabling us to deliver even more effective and tailored services to one-parent families in Ireland. By focusing on strengthening data protection and streamlining service evaluation processes, this project has not only modernised our internal systems but also created real, meaningful benefits for the families we work with.

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The project was funded by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and we were fortunate enough to partner again with Enclude, who work in the area of technology-centred organisational development and capacity building with many community organisations and charities in Ireland.

The project focused on two main areas: improving data security and integrating service-evaluation tools into One Family’s data and process management system. This led to overall enhanced data protection across all areas of our work and administration systems. We did this by implementing granular data access controls in order to minimise the risk of data breaches, ensuring sensitive information remains secure and accessible at all times. A second key area of focus was embedding evaluation tools into Salesforce. By integrating learner outcome forms and other feedback mechanisms, we created a streamlined system that automatically collects and analyses data. This development allows us to better evaluate the effectiveness of our services and improve reporting capabilities in the following areas below.

Improved Service Efficiency – Integrating service outcomes into Salesforce simplified reporting processes and reduced staff workloads by automating data analysis.

Better User Insights – With all client data centralised, One Family gained a comprehensive understanding of our service user journeys.

Enhanced Collaboration and Flexibility – By centralising processes across departments, we improved execution times for key tasks and enabled a more flexible approach to service delivery.

Improved Client Experiences – By combining robust data management with insightful service evaluation, we have further improved client interactions while allowing our services to measure and demonstrate the success of their interventions timely and effectively.

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Learn more about our WhatWorks project in this video:

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The What Works project has set a strong foundation for the future and a new standard for how One Family manages and evaluates its services. By integrating user feedback and improving operational efficiency, we are better equipped to respond to the unique and changing needs of one-parent families in Ireland. We were strongly motivated to build on our commitment to continuous improvement, ensuring that the supports and services we provide remains relevant, timely and impactful in the long term.

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Key Asks for the next Programme for Government

One Family‘s manifesto for the Irish General Elections 2024 focuses on tackling persistent and acute challenges faced by one-parent families through comprehensive reforms. We propose a set of effective measures to raise the living standard of one-parent families through unifying welfare payments, reducing employment barriers and lowering the Working Family Payment threshold, for example. Other key measures include expanding Fuel Allowance eligibility, enhancing childcare subsidies and strengthening child maintenance enforcement. We advocate for equitable parental leave for lone parents, accessible and comprehensive out-of-court services, as well as coordinated, targeted initiatives to combat child poverty across Ireland. A child-centred housing policy aligned with the European Child Guarantee and a dedicated Family Homelessness Strategy will enable government and statutory structures to eradicate to homelessness and emergency accommodation issues.

Read our key asks for the next Government of Ireland here:

PDF for EMAIL_Election Manifesto 2024 Download

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2024 research reports confirm the continuous decline in living standard and basic supports for one-parent families in Ireland …

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul‘s Research Centre report, supported by the Department of Social Protection, on Minimum Essential Standard of Living gives an overview of the impact of Budget 2025 across a number of metrics, such as housing shortage and homelessness, energy poverty, social and income supports. Several social categories and household types, such as one-parent and, respectively, two-parent households with two school-age children, are covered in detail.

The report also assesses “which changes to incomes and services protect the real value of supports in the context of changes to living costs, and forecasting if progress will be made towards enabling a socially acceptable minimum standard of living in the coming year” in Ireland.

References to one-parent households with children highlight the key negative impacts affecting members of these families, and the evident gaps in addressing housing costs and childcare expenses:

Income Adequacy: Many one-parent households experience persistent income inadequacy, and are unable to meet the Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) requirements.
Child Poverty: Specific measures are needed to reduce child poverty, especially in single-parent families, where it is disproportionately high.

While the report notes some improvements in welfare and income supports, it recommends the implementation of enhanced supports for low-income, lone-parent families, such as targeted welfare increases and affordable childcare.

Read the full report here:

MESL SVP Report Download

The Ireland Country Report (pages 93–97) in the “Children’s Realities in Europe: Progress & Gaps Eurochild 2024 report on children in need across Europe” outlines persistent child poverty challenges, despite some improvements in social welfare measures. The report stresses the need for enhanced housing supports and affordable childcare in Ireland. It discusses the effects of income inadequacy on children’s wellbeing and education and recommends targeted welfare increases, better access to services, and policy reforms to systemic barriers for vulnerable families, and one-parent families in particular.

Read the Ireland country report here:

Eurochild report Ireland Download

A prominent, long-term study entitled Lone parent transitions, employment transitions and poverty outcomes, published in October 2024 by The Economic and Social Research Institute study, in collaboration with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in Ireland, found that lone parenthood significantly increases economic vulnerability, which is measured by low income, material deprivation, and financial stress. Using data from the Growing Up in Ireland study (2008–2017), it highlights that lone parents face prolonged economic challenges compared to two-parent families. Key findings in the report highlight that around half of lone parents receive no maintenance from their former partner, 9% of two parent families become lone parent families, who are then faced with a higher risk of economic vulnerability.

Read the report here:

RS193 Download

Another report launched in December 2024 by the The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) Ireland, the 2024 Poverty Watch Ireland stated that “one in five (19.2%) lone-parent households were at risk of poverty” in 2023. In 2024, Ireland “is characterised by a weak care infrastructure, with a high reliance on private or familial care rather than a public system of care. This has led to primarily female lone parents being disproportionately at risk of poverty.”

Read the report here

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7 November 2024

Today, One Family, Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families, has launched its first dedicated national survey aiming to document the experiences and challenges of lone parents and their children living in Ireland.

Further to recent ESRI research, which found that being a lone parent significantly increases the risk of financial stress and overall poverty, One Family invites people living in one-parent families to help gather important data to highlight the unique challenges experienced by these families. The organisation is looking to hear from anyone parenting alone, sharing parenting or going through separation. This includes parents, step-parents, kinship carers, guardians or foster parents. Their participation will help develop research that can build a comprehensive picture of the significant and sustained life challenges faced by one-parent families across the country.

The survey can be accessed through One Family’s website here.

Completing the survey also provides parents in one-parent families with the opportunity to participate in the One Family Advocacy Project, an initiative funded by Community Foundation Ireland, which aims to promote equality, enhance wellbeing, and support financial and social inclusion of the most disadvantaged groups in Irish society.

QUOTES

Karen Kiernan, One Family CEO, said,

‘We really want to make Ireland a better place for children living in one-parent families to grow up in and we know that many parents face big challenges, especially around their financial security. Hearing directly from parents themselves is an incredibly powerful way for us to understand exactly what is happening and therefore advocate more effectively to government for positive changes.

As well as asking people to complete our survey, we are also seeking parents who would like to get more involved in our advocacy work. We know this can be extremely effective in influencing major changes to laws, policies and services.

Carly Bailey, One Family Policy Manager and the Advocacy Project Manager, said,

‘Despite overwhelming evidence and years of data demonstrating persistent, long-term poverty and deprivation rates, successive governments have failed to provide an adequate safety net for the families we advocate for. We still have a social protection system that refuses to acknowledge the unique barriers they face and the potential trauma they may be experiencing. The system is also incredibly difficult to navigate, with poverty traps around almost every corner.

Many of the families we work with continue to experience discrimination due to their family and parenting status and report high levels of shame and isolation as a result. We have a long history of treating lone parents and their children poorly in this country. It is high time it stopped.

This is why we are calling on all parents in a one-parent families to participate in our National Survey. Decision-makers might ignore the evidence, but they cannot ignore the collective voice of the families impacted by their consistent failure to act.‘

Parent, member of the new One Family Advocacy Project, said,

‘Like so many others parenting alone, I feel as if the State has abandoned my family and is ashamed of us. Why else is everything always so difficult? Like everyone else, I work really hard and do the best I can for my child, sometimes in very difficult circumstances. But with only one income coming in, I am never sure if I will be able to pay for everything each month which causes me huge anxiety. I am really looking forward to working with One Family as part of their new advocacy group and doing what I can, alongside other parents, to push for the change we deserve.’

For press inquiries or to arrange an interview with our spokespeople,

contact us here.

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One Family calls for implementation of out of court solutions for Child Maintenance issues

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Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families’ response to the publication of the Review of the Enforcement of Child Maintenance Orders

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Dublin, Monday 8th January 2024: One Family welcomes the Department of Justice’s Review of the Enforcement of Child Maintenance Orders, which addresses long-standing concerns regarding non-payment. This action was prompted by the Government’s decision not to establish a Child Maintenance Agency, despite its recommendation in the Murphy Child Maintenance Review Group report.
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Karen Kiernan, One Family CEO, stated, “One Family believes the only adequate response to the need to reform how child maintenance is administered in Ireland is the establishment of an independent child maintenance agency or analogous system. Given that courts instead will need to continue to shoulder the work of maintenance assessment and enforcement; we believe that urgent priority must be given to the development of new Family Law courts with specialist trained judiciary, shorter waiting times and an emphasis on out of court solutions.
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“It is of particular concern to us that separated parents will continue to be forced into adversarial legal systems that are often slow and expensive in order to deal with basics such as child maintenance. We see constantly in our services that unpaid maintenance means the family must cut back on essentials, bills cannot be paid, and families can go into arrears or debt.
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“Unfortunately, whilst this report recommends some positive changes, it falls short of providing families with an independent, non-adversarial process through which to assess and enforce child maintenance orders.”
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We hope that the planned development of guidelines for the Courts in enforcing maintenance orders and attempting to standardise assessments will hear the voices and experiences of parents who have direct experience of child maintenance.
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It is encouraging that there will be a wider selection of enforcement tools available to courts for non-payment of court ordered child maintenance, and that the court will determine which one is most suitable in each case. However, the onus is still on the receiving parent to initiate another court case, which we know from their own testimonies can bring about added stress and expenses.
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We are pleased that the Family Justice Forum will work together with the Department of the Taoiseach’s Child Poverty Unit to ensure there is a positive impact on child poverty levels. This is an essential aspect that requires thorough monitoring and ensuring compliance with orders.
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For more information, visit Review of the Enforcement of Child Maintenance Orders.

Issued on behalf of One Family

Date: 8 January 2024
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Ends/

Note to Editors:

These services include the askonefamily national helpline on 0818 66 22 12, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie. The askonefamily helpline can be contacted on 0818 66 22 12 or 01 662 9212 or helpline@onefamily.ie.

For Media Enquiries:

Laura Curtin, Communications Manager

Email: lcurtin@onefamily.ie

Tel: 086 853 7043
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[av_heading heading=’Family Referendum Wording Announced’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote modern-centered’ subheading_active=” show_icon=” icon=’ue800′ font=’entypo-fontello’ size=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” subheading_size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” icon_size=” av-medium-font-size-1=” av-small-font-size-1=” av-mini-font-size-1=” color=” custom_font=” subheading_color=” seperator_color=” icon_color=” margin=” margin_sync=’true’ padding=’10’ icon_padding=’10’ headline_padding=” headline_padding_sync=’true’ link=” link_target=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-lptzperg’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_heading]

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The referendum to expand the definition of the family is a historic occasion which we welcome. For over 50 years our founders have been calling for equality for all families, as single parents who have fought against the odds to keep and raise their own children. Since its founding in 1972 One Family, previously known as Cherish, has been working to ensure a positive and equal future for people parenting alone, sharing parenting and those parenting around separation. The Family Referendum is a chance to offer symbolic reparation to one-parent families. All families deserve to be recognised, appreciated and cherished equally.

Given the importance of this referendum we would encourage you and your community to register to vote. This is your chance to make a difference in the lives of one-parent families.
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15% increase in queries to national one-parent family helpline

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Press release, Monday 28 August

Queries to the askonefamily national helpline, a specialist support line for one-parent families, increased by 15% in 2022 as families struggled with tightening energy, food and housing prices. The statistic was revealed as One Family, Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families, launched its Annual Report for 2022.
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Karen Kiernan One Family CEO said, “The surge in queries to our helpline is more evidence of the pressure one-parent families are experiencing. Parents sought advice on housing, finance and social welfare as they strained to keep their heads above water. This is a direct result of Government policy and will only get worse; queries to the helpline in Q1 2023 are already 30% ahead of 2022. The budget, last year, had next to nothing for one-parent families despite all the evidence that showed these families are amongst the poorest in the state and needed targeted support. In 2022, One Family issued almost €4,000 worth of food vouchers to struggling families and over 500 Christmas gifts to children. These donations were sourced through the generosity of companies and the public and without them many families would have gone hungry, or children would have had nothing for Christmas.”
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Carly Baily, One Family Policy Officer, said, “If Government are serious about ending child poverty, there needs to be meaningful targeted supports for one-parent families in Budget 2024. One-parent families are not looking for hand-outs but for supports to help them escape poverty. A stand-alone child maintenance system is urgently required to pull families out of poverty. Child maintenance and child benefit shouldn’t be assessed as means for access to public supports and schemes. These are all achievable; all Government needs to do is target resources on families who need it the most instead of national giveaways.”

Karen Kiernan One Family CEO said, “Last year, One Family marked its 50th anniversary. What was striking was the same issues of poverty, childcare and housing insecurity are still plaguing parents today. It doesn’t have to be this way, and this is not the Ireland most of us want to live in.”
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For Editors:

These services include the askonefamily national helpline on 0818 66 22 12, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie. The askonefamily helpline can be contacted on 0818 66 22 12 or 01 6629212 or helpline@onefamily.ie

Link to One Family Annual Review:

For further information visit: https://onefamily.ie/

Available for Interview

Karen Kiernan, CEO | t: 086 850 9191

Further Information/Scheduling

Noel Sweeney, Communications and Events Manager | t: 085 7241294
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Organisations call for wording on upcoming referendum to be published

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A coalition of organisations has written an open letter to the Taoiseach saying time is needed for a national conversation on the Family, Care, and Gender Equality referendum

If the family, care and gender equality referendum is to go ahead in November, then the wording that people will be asked to vote on must be published as soon as possible to allow time for a national conversation. That is according to a coalition of organisations who sent an open letter to the Taoiseach this week.
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The government announced a referendum last March on foot of recommendations from the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality. They recommended a referendum to remove the Constitutional limits on women; to value and recognise care in the home and the wider community; and to protect all families equally.

Director of the National Women’s Council, Orla O’Connor, said:

“Our Constitution, our foundational document, contains restrictive language on women’s role in society. It is outdated and carries a legacy of the mistreatment of women up to today. It’s important this is amended so that it reflects the value of care and everyone’s role in care right across our society. NWC is looking forward to a national conversation on these issues but unless wording is published soon, we’re concerned about the proposed timeline.”
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SIPTU Deputy General Secretary Ethel Buckley said:

“As the union of paid care workers – numbering up to 100,000 people in Ireland – we want to ensure the work of carers on the front line in the home and in the community is recognised and valued. A national conversation on issues as significant as women’s role in society, the value and recognition of care both inside the home and in the wider community, and the definition of family, deserves time.”
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Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family said:

“This referendum is an opportunity to offer recognition to families who have been mistreated over the years. There are families living in Ireland now who are not recognised as such in our Constitution, who have been waiting years for recognition. Government owes it to them to publish wording as soon as possible before the referendum.”

Catherine Cox, Head of Communications and Policy at Family Carers Ireland, said:

“We believe this referendum, and in particular, the replacement of Article 41.2 with wording that recognises the societal value of care in the home and wider community and obliges the State to take measures to support family carers, is a milestone moment in our history and therefore are calling for the urgent publication of the wording.”
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The letter is signed by five organisations: Treoir, Family Carers Ireland, One Family, the National Women’s Council (NWC) and SIPTU. There are a large number of other organisations who are keen to support the referendum but cannot do so until the wording is published.

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Read the letter here:
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Lone parents at breaking point ahead of Budget Forum Meeting

Urgent targeted action is needed as many one-parent families struggle to put food on the table.

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Press release,

Tuesday 18 July,

Lone parent families are at breaking point and require urgent targeted supports in Budget 2024 according to One Family – Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families. The call comes ahead of the Department of Social Protection’s Pre-Budget Forum tomorrow, Wednesday 19^th July and as the organisation launches its Pre-Budget Submission.
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Karen Kiernan CEO of One Family said, “What we are hearing from our services and through our helpline is that parents are struggling. They’re straining to keep their heads above water but an unequal social welfare system is pulling them down. Lone parent families are not looking for hand-outs but for supports to help them escape poverty. A stand-alone child maintenance system is urgently needed to pull families out of poverty, child maintenance and child benefit shouldn’t be accessed as means for access to public supports and schemes. Lone parents should be eligible for all parts of an enhanced SUSI grant, irrespective of which housing support they are in receipt of, or whether the course is full, part-time or blended. These are all achievable; all Government need to do is focus resources and the result is thousands of children are pulled out of poverty.”
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Carly Bailey Policy Officer with One Family said, “One-parent families are consistently overrepresented in poverty, homelessness and deprivation figures. Yet despite all the evidence, targeted interventions to reduce poverty in one-parent households were shamefully absent from last year’s Budget. It is no surprise that income inadequacy has deepened for one parent families again this year as a result. Budget 2024 must include specific targeted measures such as a significant Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) payment in order to provide a meaningful reduction in poverty in one-parent families.”
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Our key budget asks:

Increase the Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) payment by €15 for children over 12 years and €10 for children under 12 years.
Provide free (or almost free) access to childcare to all families in receipt of the Medical Card.
Expand eligibility for the Living Alone Allowance, Telephone Allowance and Household Benefits Package.
Ensure lone parents are eligible for all parts of an enhanced SUSI grant, irrespective of which housing support they are in receipt of, or whether the course is full, part-time or blended.
Increase the housing disregard for One Parent Family and Job Seekers Transitional payment in line with market rents. This has not been increased since 1997.
Establish an independent child maintenance agency.

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About One Family:

One Family is Ireland’s organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting and 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 askonefamily national helpline on 01 662 9212, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. For further information visit: www.onefamily.ie

To read our Pre-Budget Submission

Available for Interview

Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family | t: 086-8509191

Further Information/Scheduling

Noel Sweeney, Communications and Events Manager | t: 085 7241294
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Press release – National One Parent Family Alliance

One Parent Families Must Be Prioritised in Budget 2024

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Wednesday 12^th July 2023

The National One Parent Family Alliance (NOPFA) an alliance of civil society organisations concerned about the high levels of poverty experienced by lone parents and their children is calling on Government to urgently prioritise one parent families in Budget 2024. The alliance will hold a pre-Budget briefing with media and political representatives to highlight their concerns and ‘asks’ for lone parent families on Wednesday 12^th July between 10am – 1 pm in Buswells Hotel.
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The alliance which includes Barnardos, Children’s Rights Alliance, One Family, Family Resource Centre National Forum, FLAC, Focus Ireland, National Women’s Council, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, SPARK, and Treoir have prepared a Pre-Budget Submission stressing the need to prioritise supports for one parent families in Budget 2024.

The key asks are:

An increase of €10 per week for children under 12 and €15 per week for children over 12 is needed to retain the purchasing power of the Qualified Child Payment and make real progress on tackling child poverty.
In recognition of the income cliff when the youngest child reaches 14, extend Jobseekers Transition Payment to parents in work, education or training until their youngest child finishes second level education.
Make the Fuel Allowance payable to families in receipt of the Working Family Payment as a targeted measure to reach more families experiencing energy poverty. Estimated cost: €40.6 million
Extend entitlement of the Living Alone Allowance and Household Benefits package to one parent families in recognition that they rely on a single long term social welfare payment and are at a much greater risk of poverty and income inadequacy than two adult households.
The Housing Income Disregard was introduced in 1997 at a rate of £75 (€95.23) and it has not increased since then and it does not reflect current housing costs. Families are at increased risk of homelessness at the time of relationship breakdown, and an increase in the Housing Income Disregard in line with actual market costs would support families to remain in the family home.

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NOPFA says these measures are well targeted and will make a real difference in the lives of thousands of children. Importantly, it will help achieve the Taoiseach’s ambition of making a sustained impact on the number of children growing up in poverty – the majority of whom are living in one parent families – during his term.

Orla O’Connor, Director of the National Women’s Council said “Lone parents, the vast majority of whom are women, are one of the groups most at risk of poverty in Ireland today. In Budget 2024, government must support one-parent families by raising social welfare rates so that they provide a Minimum Essential Standard of Living, and by investing in vital public services. This includes a further 25% reduction in childcare costs in 2024, in tandem with the development of a public childcare model to enhance accessible, affordable, quality childcare for families. Government cannot outrun the cost-of-living with tax cuts for higher earners – these will reinforce inequalities for women and will not help one-parent families”.

Louise Bayliss, Campaign Coordinator with Focus Ireland said “We are concerned with the disproportionate increase of family homelessness among lone parent households. Focus Ireland have previously called for a taskforce to examine the causes and solutions for homelessness among lone parent households. The monthly homelessness figures now evidence the urgent need for this task-force.”

Damien Peelo, CEO of Treoir said “From the calls to our information service, we hear of the real daily struggle many one parent families have to cope with due to inadequate financial support and we are calling on targeted financial supports for one parent families to ensure their children have a realistic chance to break the cycle of poverty.”

Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family said, “We know from our frontline services and helpline that parents are struggling to keep their heads above water this summer. The theme of the summer for many is stress, stress to keep food on the table, stress to keep a roof over children’s heads. Short-term measures keep the waters out for a week or two but then parents are back trying to plug gaps. One-parent families need targeted supports in this Budget. Short-term and universal measures leave the poorest children in the state even poorer in the long-term.”

Suzanne Connolly, Chief Executive at Barnardos said, “almost 40% of the children Barnardos supports are living in one parent families. As a society, it is unfair and unjust that children in these families are often at the greatest risk of being pulled into deprivation. We know from our services that the cost of living crisis has disproportionately increased financial pressures on lone parents. The Government needs to act in Budget 2024 to better protect children living in these families, introducing targeted supports that will help their immediate health and wellbeing as well as their future development and opportunities.”
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The lack of permanent, adequate, and targeted measures in Budget 2023 has left families vulnerable to hardship and Budget 2024 needs to ensure lone parent families are supported.

Analysis from the Vincentian MESL Research Centre shows one parent household cases continue to demonstrate the greatest depth of income adequacy compared to equivalent two parent household cases. The MESL analysis has consistently identified older children as having additional and different needs distinct from younger children. The core MESL cost is highest for older children, aged 12 and over, at €149.05 per week. Only 61.5% of this need is met by social welfare payments, leaving a weekly shortfall of €57.42 per week. Budget 2024 must address this income inadequacy to reduce chid poverty and deprivation.

Since the ending of the eviction ban, family homelessness has increased by 131 homeless families, but more shockingly, lone parents make up 72% of the increase. In the last year, family homelessness increased by 30%. However, lone parents experienced a much higher increase of 38%, compared to a 20% increase for other families. It is clear lone parent households should be identified as an at risk group and a task force should be immediately set up to support families at risk of homelessness.

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Members of NOPFA will be available for comment on the day.

Notes to editors:

The National One Parent Family Alliance comprises ten national organisations including Barnardos, Children’s Rights Alliance, One Family, Family Resource Centre National Forum, FLAC, Focus Ireland, National Women’s Council, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, SPARK, and Treoir. This Alliance was established in 2020 around a shared concern about the high levels of poverty experienced by lone parents and their children.
Children in one parent families are four times more likely to experience poverty than children in two parent families. Prior to cost of living increases, 17% of one parent families lived in consistent poverty, 45% were experiencing enforced deprivation and almost 80% were unable to afford an unexpected expense. Despite making up only 20% of families in Ireland, one parent families account for 56% of homeless families. (EU SILC, 2022)

To read the NOPFA Pre-Budget Submission click here:

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We are hugely saddened to hear of the passing of our friend & former One Family board member Attracta (Lena) O’Regan. Our thoughts & prayers are with her husband Ultan, children Ian, Yvonne, Alecia and Cúán and all her friends and family. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam
https://rip.ie/death-notice/attracta-lena-oregan-dublin-sutton-522352
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Always the Two of Us – new documentary theatre on growing up in a one-parent family in Ireland

Press Release,

Wednesday 7^th June,
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The Ark Children’s Cultural Centre and One Family – Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families, are delighted to announce the free, rehearsed reading of Always the Two of Us, by Kate Heffernan taking place tomorrow Thursday 8^th June at 6pm at The Ark in Temple Bar. The new piece of documentary theatre looks behind the curtains of Irish family life at the real life experiences of adults who grew up in one-parent families during the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s; a time when these families often faced shame and scorn.
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One Family CEO, Karen Kiernan said, “This is such an important piece of theatre, to be able to tell the often-hidden stories of children (now adults) who grew up on one-parent families in the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s. We’ve heard the harrowing stories of the mother and baby homes and the laundries, but Kate has managed to capture the complex range of experiences of children in these homes, the love, the laughter, the shade and the light that comes through. The piece was commissioned to celebrate our 50th anniversary and we want to say a huge thanks to Kate and The Ark for the tremendous amount of work that went into this piece.”
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Aideen Howard, Director of the Ark said, “The Ark makes art for by, about and with children. While most of our programme is created for children we also commission work for a grown up audience about the experience of children and childhood. We were delighted to commission playwright Kate Heffernan to create The Ark’s first work of documentary theatre which will be presented as a reading directed by Maisie Lee and read by an outstanding cast. It was a privilege to work together with One Family whose championing of the rights of children. parents and diverse families is an inspiration to us.”
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Always the Two of Us was commissioned by The Ark and One Family, this new documentary theatre script has emerged from conversations with men and women, of varying ages, and from both urban and rural backgrounds. In this rehearsed reading directed by Maisie Lee, actors Catherine Byrne, Lewis Harris, Genevieve Hulme Beaman, Lauren Larkin and John Olohan will read multiple roles to share their stories and experiences.

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For Editors:

The Ark is a dedicated cultural centre for children. We create opportunities for children, along with their families and friends or with their school, to discover and love art. Through our work with leading Irish and international artists children can enjoy performances in our unique child-sized theatre, view engaging exhibitions or participate in creative workshops.

One Family was founded in 1972 as Cherish and is Ireland’s national 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 0818 66 22 12, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie. The askonefamily helpline can be contacted on 0818 66 22 12 or 01-6629212.

For further information on Always the Two of Us click here

Available for Interview

Karen Kiernan, CEO | t: 086 850 9191

Further Information/Scheduling

Noel Sweeney, Communications and Events Manager | t: 085 7241294
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Higher rate of homelessness in one-parent families requires urgent Government action.

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Press Release

Friday, 26^th May 2023

Figures published by the Department of Housing today, show the devastating impact the eviction ban is starting to have on one-parent family households. Homeless figures show there was 962 one-parent families living in emergency this month, up 64 or 7%, since March. One-parent families continue to make up over half of all families in homelessness, a trend that has persisted since the start of the housing crisis. One Family are deeply concerned at the rate of increase this month, with homelessness in one-parent families increasing more than three times the rate in the general population.
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One Family CEO Karen Kiernan said, “What we are witnessing is a large-scale failure of Government policy. We see from our services the stark reality behind these figures. Families are under incredible mental stress; whether they have already been forced into homelessness or are facing the looming threat of eviction. Parents are at breaking point trying to maintain normal lives for their children. Childhoods are being blighted as children struggle to cope with parental stress and the reality of not having a safe, secure or appropriate home. The worrying thing is these figures probably don’t reflect the true impact of the eviction ban as these evictions normally take a few months after notices are served to take affect. We urgently need a family homelessness strategy with targeted measures for one-parent families.”
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Niamh Kelly, One Family Policy Manager said “There were 962 one-parent families living in homeless accommodation in April, 7% more than when the eviction ban was in effect in March. It must be remembered that these figures, while devastating, do not tell the full story and only capture those who are presenting to state funded emergency services. We are seeing from our services a whole cohort of people who are not captured in these numbers, who are couch surfing and staying with relatives in less than ideal circumstances. These families have been cut adrift and face increasing dangerous seas.”

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For Editors:

For further information visit: https://onefamily.ie/

For housing figures click here

Available for Interview

Karen Kiernan, CEO | t: 086 850 9191

Further Information/Scheduling

Noel Sweeney, Communications and Events Manager | t: 085 7241294
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Researchers from University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin will today launch a research report documenting the lived experiences of Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) recipients. The research, conducted in association with One Family, will explore how JST is working ‘on the ground’. As JST is a relatively new payment in the Irish social welfare system, little is known about how it is experienced by recipients. Furthermore, because people living in single parent households are consistently over-represented in poverty statistics across all metrics (at risk of poverty, enforced deprivation and consistent poverty), how caregivers in one-parent households experience a policy that is designed with such households in mind represents important work.

To read the report:

In Transit Research Report

To read the briefing paper:

In Transit Policy Briefing

Read the information leaflet:

JST – Information leaflet

To view a recording of the event:

Recording of the Research Launch
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On mark UN International Day of the Family, One Family is calling for a change to article 41.3 of the Constitution on the definition of the Family. We are calling for definition in the Constitution to be expanded to give rights and protection to all family forms; currently, the Constitution only recognises the married family. We are now hopefully on the verge of achieving a vote on this change with the referendum on Family, Care and Equality due to take place in November. The final wording of the referendum questions have not been finalised, but we know there is a commitment from Government to ensure that all families receive Constitutional protection. We need your support the ensure Government keep to their commitments and to help us in any campaign in the referendum.

For more information on article 41.3 click here: To join the campaign click here
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At a wonderful event at the National Library of Ireland (NLI) head office in Dublin, One Family/Cherish, today, donated their archives to the National Library of Ireland for safe keeping. CEO of One Family, Karen Kiernan said: “These archives give voice to the stories of women and children who were shunned by the State and by parts of society. When Cherish was established in 1972, there was no lone parents allowance and single pregnant women had an uncertain future – they were often thrown out of their homes, lost their jobs and were rejected by their communities. In these archives the words of these women endure, their voices are included in our national story and are now protected in the national archive.” To read the press release click here

The Cherish administrative and organisational records will be catalogued and available to researchers by the end of 2023. The Client Case Files and correspondence that contains personal information has been designated “Not for Consultation” (NFC) and will not be available to researchers. In collecting material relating to living persons, and in line with our statutory obligations under GDPR, the NLI applies a strict approach to the protection of privacy.
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Naomi Connolly from One Family’s Advocacy Project tells Social Inclusion Forum about her experience as a lone parent and changes she wants government to make For immediate release Thursday 8th May 2025

One Family joins 16 international organisations to launch new #SingleParentCommunity campaign Friday 21st March 2025 For immediate release

Available for interview: Lindsey Earner-Byrne, Professor of Contemporary History, Trinity College Dublin / Karen Kiernan, CEO One Family

Notes to Editor:

Grim statistics for one-parent families in Ireland once again show that Government policies designed to tackle poverty are failing

QUOTES

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20 December 2024

An innovative EU funded pilot programme supporting lone parents in the northeast of Ireland into education and employment was delivered in partnership between national voluntary sector organisation One Family and the Department of Social Protection (DSP) from 2021 to 2024.

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Further Information

For press inquiries or to arrange an interview with our spokespeople,

contact us here.

Learn more about our WhatWorks project in this video:

Key Asks for the next Programme for Government

2024 research reports confirm the continuous decline in living standard and basic supports for one-parent families in Ireland …

Today, One Family, Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families, has launched its first dedicated national survey aiming to document the experiences and challenges of lone parents and their children living in Ireland.

The survey can be accessed through One Family’s website here.

QUOTES

For press inquiries or to arrange an interview with our spokespeople,

contact us here.

One Family calls for implementation of out of court solutions for Child Maintenance issues

Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families’ response to the publication of the Review of the Enforcement of Child Maintenance Orders

15% increase in queries to national one-parent family helpline

Organisations call for wording on upcoming referendum to be published

Lone parents at breaking point ahead of Budget Forum Meeting

Press release – National One Parent Family Alliance

One Parent Families Must Be Prioritised in Budget 2024

Always the Two of Us – new documentary theatre on growing up in a one-parent family in Ireland

Higher rate of homelessness in one-parent families requires urgent Government action.

Naomi Connolly from One Family’s Advocacy Project tells Social Inclusion Forum about her experience as a lone parent and changes she wants government to make

For immediate release
Thursday 8th May 2025

One Family joins 16 international organisations to launch new #SingleParentCommunity campaign

Friday 21^st March 2025
For immediate release

Learn more about how to enrol, register and pay
for the course by watching the explainer video below.