One Family and EBS announce Family Day celebrations and national art competition

/in , , /by

Press Release

ONE FAMILY AND EBS ANNOUNCE

FAMILY DAY CELEBRATIONS

AND NATIONAL ART COMPETITION

 

Family Day | Sunday, 19 May 2013 | www.familyday.ie 

Celebrate families, celebrate your family.

(Dublin, 18 April 2013) One Family, Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families and EBS celebrate the diversity of families in Ireland with Family Day 2013. This free, family-friendly day out takes place in Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens on Sunday, 19 May from 11am to 5pm. Family Day celebrations also include a national art competition for young people.

Family Day was launched today by Anton Savage of Today FM. All family types are invited to enjoy Family Day including one-parent families, step families, the traditional two-parent married family, adoptive and foster families, blended and extended families, and those with opposite and same sex parents. UN International Day of Families is held on 15 May annually and inspires the Family Day celebration. This is the third year for events to take place in the Iveagh Gardens and it is growing every year, attracting over 5,000 visitors in 2012.

Family Day offers entertainment and fun for all ages. All activities are free. New events specially designed for Family Day in 2013 include a pop-up participatory installation by artist Michelle Browne in partnership with IMMA, which invites families to compete in a buggy assault course.  Michelle is currently in residence at IMMA’s studios and this Family Day event comes from an ongoing research project with mothers who have young children, exploring how they experience and negotiate Dublin city with their buggies.

MC Al Kazam, magician extraordinaire, will enthrall all ages while overseeing the smooth running of the music and dance performances on the stage, and arts workshops from organisations including Fighting Words, Imaginosity and The Ark will intrigue young children and teenagers. The FAI’s goal scoring challenge and a traditional sports arena will keep everyone on their toes and when it’s time to take a well-earned rest, Family Day-goers can enjoy their own picnic or visit the food village on site where tasty treats can be purchased.

This is the fourth year that EBS has partnered with One Family to acknowledge International Day of the Family.  Barry Delaney, Head of EBS Marketing, said: “EBS has worked closely with One Family over the past four years to build and develop a flagship event which celebrates families in Ireland. We are delighted that it continues to get bigger and better every year and that more and more families get to come and celebrate together on this day. The focus on families is in keeping with our positioning as an organisation that is helping all kinds of families get on in life. This is a great partnership for EBS and we are delighted to play a part in its continued success.”

Karen Kiernan, Director of One Family, commented: “One Family has been promoting International Day of the Family in Ireland for the past decade and building on Family Day for the past three years. Mothers’ Day is for mums and Fathers’ Day is for dads but not every child can celebrate those days. Family Day is for everyone to celebrate all types of families. We invite every family, workplace and school in Ireland to celebrate Family Day.”

Those who cannot attend events in the Iveagh Gardens are encouraged to host their own Family Day event which can be included on the Family Day site by emailing details to familyday@onefamily.ie.

The Family Day art competition is open for entries until 31 May 2013 to young people up to the age of 18 with a prize of €500.  Entries can be submitted at local EBS offices nationwide or emailed to familyday@onefamily.ie. Last year over 1,200 entered the art competition with their wonderful family portraits. This year’s theme is ‘My family is …’ Full details are on www.familyday.ie.

Family Day is presented by One Family and EBS, with the support of Today FM, OPW and Dublin City Council.

Further information about Family Day is available on www.familyday.ie.

/Ends.

About One Family

One Family was founded in 1972 and is Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families.  It offers support, information and services to all members of all one-parent families, to those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and to those 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 622 212, counselling, and training courses for parents and for professionals. www.onefamily.ie.

Listings

Family Day | A celebration of the diversity of the family with entertainment and activities for all ages | Sunday, 19 May 2013 | Iveagh Gardens, Dublin 2 | 11am – 5 pm | Free | 01 662 9212 | www.familyday.ie

Press

Pics released today by Photocall Ireland.

For further information or images, please contact:

Shirley Chance for One Family | t: 01 662 9212 / 087 414 8511 | e: schance@onefamily.ie

Claire McGovern, Q4PR for EBS | t:  086 379 7291

 

 

One Family reiterates need for social justice for one-parent families in Ireland

/in /by

Press Release

One Family Reiterates Need for Social Justice for One-parent Families in Ireland

Today is UN World Day of Social Justice which aims to promote poverty eradication and social integration. The IMF ranks Ireland as the 15th in the world by GDP per capita yet 232,000 children are at risk of poverty, which represents 18.8% of all children in Ireland according to the Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) in Ireland for 2011 released last Wednesday by the Central Statistics Office. The 2011 Census shows that there are 215,315 one-parent families in Ireland, accounting for 26% of all families with children, and 22% – almost 352,000 – of all children. SILC demonstrated that one-parent households are the most deprived, with 56% classified as deprived.

Stuart Duffin, One Family’s Director of Policy & Programmes, responds to the findings: “Our analysis of national studies – GUI, CSO ESRI – and evidence gathered by One Family over 40 years demonstrate that child poverty is not a natural phenomenon. It is a political phenomenon – the product of choices and actions made by government and society.”

Mr Duffin welcomes the recommendations in Investing in Children: Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage (2013) spearheaded by László Andor, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, as today the European Commission adopts its new social investment package with a call for greater focus on social investment in the national reform programmes of all Member States. This report recognises that addressing child poverty is central to achieving Europe’s 2020 “smart, green and inclusive growth strategy”.

The Commission’s recommendations provide helpful guidance to the Irish State on how to tackle child poverty and promote children’s well-being. It calls for a children’s rights approach and integrated strategies based on three pillars:

  • access to adequate resources;
  • access to affordable quality services; and
  • children’s right to participate.

One Family also calls on the Irish Government to identify the steps that should be taken to end child poverty in Ireland in line with the new EU recommendations as a matter of urgency.

/Ends.


About One Family
One Family was founded in 1972 and is Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families. We offer support, information and services to all members of all one-parent families, to those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and to those 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 622 212, counseling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. One Family also promotes Family Day, an annual celebration of the diversity of families in Ireland today, with events taking place this year on May 19th. For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie.

Available for Interview
Karen Kiernan, Director of One Family
Stuart Duffin, Director of Policy & Programmes
t: 01 662 9212

 

One Family welcomes research which indicates that focusing on family type as a predictor for child well-being is irrelevant

/in /by

One Family today welcomes research from UCD analysing 9 year olds in the Growing Up in Ireland data which strongly indicates that focusing on family type as a predictor for child well-being is irrelevant.

One Family Director Karen Kiernan welcomed the report saying: “This research confirms what we have seen for 40 years in One Family; that lone parents are doing the very best they can in difficult circumstances to raise their children well. We have always found the argument about married families being better to be ridiculous, especially given that so many one-parent families are created through the dissolution of marriage, but this is a clear message to policy makers that education of mothers is important for the well-being of their children.”

Kiernan continued: “The research indicates that never-married lone mothers have far fewer children than average, are more likely to have their child at a young age and to have lower education levels and this is the most vulnerable family form in Ireland at the moment. This type of parent is also less likely to form a second union during the child’s younger life.”

The extent and nature of shared parenting between parents who do not live together was also looked at in the research and moderately high levels of contact between children and their non-resident parent were found. Karen Kiernan commented on this: “One Family has been working to promote positive and constructive shared parenting in one-parent families for many years and we are pleased to finally see some statistics on the extent of this in Ireland. Whilst shared parenting is not the majority practice, daily or weekly contact between children and their non-resident parent is very common and this is good news.”

Quotes from the study press release:

“It shows that family type is not the over-riding influence on the well-being of a child,” said lead author Dr Tony Fahey, of the UCD School of Applied Social Science.

“Our findings show only a slight, or, in many cases, a complete absence of differences in the indicators of child well-being between children of two-parent married families, co-habiting families, step-families, and one-parent families.”

“The single most important mechanism that public policy can use to combat family problems is to tackle educational disadvantage.”

Full research report here.

For more information, contact:

Karen Kiernan, Director, One Family 01 662 9212 or 086 850 9191.

One Family asks Mins, TDs and Senators to reflect on Budget 2013 impacts

/in /by

One Family recommends Ministers, TDs, Senators and the architects of Budget 2013 reflect on its impacts

One Family, Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families, overviews the potential impacts of Budget 2013.  Karen Kiernan, Director of One Family offers her insight, ‘Household income for lone parents is squeezed once again with 1 in 5 poor children living in a one-parent family, and this is the impact in real terms of the range of cuts and increases in taxes introduced in Budget 2013. We have been working collectively to ameliorate the impacts of Budget 2012. We are now preparing to do the same again as we see the negative impact of Budget 2013!’

‘If we are all in it together – lone parents are in it deeper than the rest. The impact of the changes in PRSI will further cut the disposable income of low income one-parent families.’  For example, ‘The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is an essential cost support for parents sending children to school, facilitating children continuing in education, thereby increasing their opportunities in later life.’

‘While we’re relieved that cutting the basic social welfare rate has been avoided, there is no getting around the bottom line that the decisions taken in Budget 2013, if we do not understand and alter their impact,  will put many more children into poverty whether their parents are working, unemployed, sick or disabled.’

We all must remember, ‘Children aren’t a private luxury but a public good. They are the future of our economy, our future workforce. They will pay the taxes that will pay for our schools, hospitals and pensions in the future. We owe all of them an obligation and potentially putting children in poverty makes no sense.’

One Family’s Welfare to Work Manager,  Stuart Duffin, calls on Government, TDs and Senators to reflect in the run-up to the forthcoming Bill on Social Protection, ‘Child Benefit must be tailored to ensure that it reaches those most in need, rather than just top-slicing. It’s not just and it is lazy social policy. We must ensure that the needs of economically disadvantaged families, such as those parenting alone, are fully recognised. Child Benefit should be means-tested, through the tax system, and could be paid to low income families as a refundable tax credit.’

Duffin continues, ‘Putting money into the hands of low-income families and in particular lone parents, who will spend that money at businesses in their communities, helps keep the economy moving. Increases to incomes will go directly to the purchase of food, clothing and other household necessities, benefiting not only low-income families but our economy.’

‘The property tax means that rents will increase. Families are still trying to deal with the rent supplement cuts with many continually moving, uprooting children from school and local services. If rent supplement is not reformed and brought into line with the market we are going to see many lone-parent families potentially homeless.’

Also, he suggests caution, ‘The removal of the Back to Education Allowance will act as a disincentive to going to college to gain new skills to get a sustainable job at a time when the labour-market demands strong knowledge and competences. This could react against all the efforts in place to encourage activation of lone parents and get them back into education and work.’

‘As part of our One Family – Ten Solutions – Smart Outcomes campaign we have advocated for support for after school care and increased opportunities for lone parents to gain work and skills experiences. We look forward to further details on the 10,000 extra opportunities on welfare to work initiatives and the €14 million allocated to support low income families access 6,000 places in a new Children plus Initiative,” says Stuart Duffin.

He continues, ‘Countries such as Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands invest in skills and adequate supports to take people out of poverty.   This investment will help to do the same for those parenting alone. This is a step to improve access for lone parents to sustainable careers and education opportunities. I hope this will be an effective inter-departmental investment that will allow lone parents to improve their educational and career competences, which will result in one-parent families lifting themselves out of poverty.’

He adds, ‘One Family looks forward to working on the action plan for these initiatives. However, it must be designed to specifically address and target recipients of the One Parent Family Payment who are at a higher risk of deprivation than other families. This approach requires cooperation to reach lone parents and low income families providing an opportunity to create meaningful skills training, education and employment supports. Ensuring work pays and assistance works.’

For the full Ten Solutions Campaign click here

Ends

For more information contact:

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

 

 

“It’s not fair and it’s lazy social policy”

/in /by

Lone Parents: being asked to make more sacrifices, rather than those with broader shoulders

One Family, Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families expresses their reaction to Budget 2013, ‘We’re looking for tailored help for families with children struggling to make ends meet as living costs rise” explains Stuart Duffin, Welfare to Work Manager.

He continues, “Those parenting alone keep being short-changed. The lowest paid families – often parents working with little pay – yet again are near the front of the queue for cuts. Child benefit, PRSI increase for low income workers, fuel, transport, property tax –  all have been taken away from family budgets which are already on the bread-line.’

As Karen Kiernan, Director of One Family further explains, “Lone parent families are doing their very best. Lone parents who are working hard to keep their families out of poverty are finding that the Government is making it harder and harder for them to make ends meet.”

She continues, “It is a matter of great concern that spending decisions keep on asking the poorest families to make more sacrifices, rather than those with broader shoulders.”

“We need to build and invest in jobs, housing and childcare, which will stimulate the economy and meet the needs of lone parent families,” concludes Stuart Duffin.                                                             

For more information contact

Stuart Duffin, Welfare to Work Manager, 087 0622023

Don’t place the burden of the Budget 2013 on the shoulders of children and one-parent families

/in /by

One Family, Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families, calls on Government not to place the burden of the budget on the shoulders of children and one-parent families.

‘Children don’t have the broadest shoulders in our society, and yet again they are carrying the weight of the budget’ says Stuart Duffin, One Family Welfare to Work Manager, ‘Child benefit is an essential part of the income of one-parent families. It allows parents to do what are considered quite basic things by a lot of people – such as buying healthy food, paying  basic fuel bills and it is supposed to go towards supporting  childcare costs.’
He goes on to point out that ideally, the wealthiest households should carry the greater tax burden in our society, but that this will not be the outcome after cutting Child Benefit across the board.  “The real issue is that this will have a fundamental impact on child poverty and on families’ living standards more generally – on average  40% of lone parents already are struggling to make ends meet at the end of the month (GUI, Nov 2012 ). €10 cut per month will increase this figure to over 60% and further deepen poverty.

There’s no getting away from the plain fact that child poverty has risen as a result of the horrendous cuts aimed at one-parent families in Budget 2012. Ministers should be moving heaven and earth to protect children and vulnerable families from cuts and prevent child poverty growing.”

“65% of poor children live in a one-parent family, so Budget 2013 has to be balanced and show that the Government is truly on the side of these families who want to get out of poverty by supporting lone parents to get into work rather than making it more difficult by slashing Community Employment scheme payments and the earnings disregard.’

Karen Kiernan, Director of One Family urges Ministers, TDs and Senators to introduced flexibility in respect of working hours requirement for lone parents moved onto Jobseekers Allowance (JA), ‘The acceptance of part-time work as sufficient for JA when lone parents come off the One-Parent Family Payment  is vital ; it will take into account the hours needed for parenting responsibilities while helping to address some of the childcare, afterschool and child welfare issues.’

 She continues, ‘The need for such flexibilities has already been recognised in many European countries and without a flexible work requirement framework, lone parents are left exposed to precarious and low-paid work that fails to lift them out of poverty.’[2]

For more information contact:

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

 

[2] Mary Murphy, Reframing the Irish Activation Debate: Accommodating Care and Safeguarding Social Rights and Choices, Studies in Public Policy, 23, 2008, pp 1-112

One Family supports Yes Vote Call with Children’s Rights Alliance

/in /by

Parents’ Organisations Slam Misinformation on Children’s Referendum

Mainstream parents’ organisations slam misinformation relating to the Children’s Referendum in Dublin today.  Urging all parents to vote YES in the Children’s Referendum on Saturday 10 November 2012, six parents’ organisations have come together to set the record straight. Chaired by Áine Lynch of the National Parents Council  Primary, the five other organisations are the Mothers’ Union (Olive Good); National Parents Council Post-Primary (Jackie O’Callaghan); One Family (Karen Kiernan); OPEN (Frances Byrne); and Treoir (Margot Doherty).

These mainstream groups have come together to dismiss claims by individuals and small groups, purporting to represent parents, that the Children’s Referendum is an attack on family and parents’ rights.  Parents and families are central to a child’s life. Each of the organisations believe that this referendum will help empower parents to ensure that the State upholds their child’s rights and are calling on all parents to vote YES on Saturday 10 November 2012.

 Speaking at the press conference, Áine Lynch of the National Parents Council Primary, says: “Affording children rights is not about diminishing the rights of parents or the family or indeed increasing the rights of the State. It is about society in Ireland making a statement of value about its children. The National Parents Council Primary urges people to get out and vote on November the 10th.  It is vital that, as a modern society, we give the strongest message possible that Ireland values its children.”

 Olive Good, of Mother’s Union, says: “The Children’s referendum represents a positive step in the State’s willingness to prioritise children by protecting them and ensuring their rights.”

Jackie O’Callaghan, of National Parents Council Post Primary, says: “The National Parents Council Post Primary is very pleased to support a YES vote in the forthcoming Children’s Referendum.  It is imperative that we now look to the future, learn from the mistakes of the past and safeguard our most precious resource: our children.”

Margot Doherty, of Treoir, says: “The Children’s Referendum, if passed, will mean that, for the first time, there will be a clear statement of children’s rights in the Irish Constitution.  Treoir believes that, inherent in these rights, are a child’s right to identity and to a relationship with both their parents.”

Frances Byrne, of OPEN, says: “The Children’s Referendum spells out the State’s duty to safeguard the rights of all children and, critically, it establishes the same threshold of protection to all children, regardless of whether their parents are married or unmarried.”

Karen Kiernan, of One Family, says: “We particularly want to welcome the proposed introduction of mandatory consultation with children in proceedings relating to them. Children are rarely consulted and there are no appropriate systems to do so. There are excellent models from other jurisdictions in how to appropriately hear children’s voices in court in a way that is meaningful for the child and helpful for the judiciary and parents.”

All six organisations are supportive of the Yes for Children campaign, which is led by Barnardos, the Children’s Rights Alliance, the ISPCC and Campaign for Children.

 

No More Punishment for one-parent families

/in /by

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

in Budget 2013

Media Release, Thursday 11 October 2012

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

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

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

Here is a summary of the Smart Steps:

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

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

For the full Ten Solutions Campaign click here

For the full One Family Pre Budget Submission click here

Ends

For more information contact:

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

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

 

One Family supports Welfare reform

/in /by

Media Release, Weds 29 August 2012

In response to today’s news that the EU has warned Government that it needs to reform our welfare system, One Family, Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families, welcomes the broad recommendations and in particular the broadening of the tax base.

Stuart Duffin, One Family Welfare to Work Manager explains, ‘Despite what the economists might say, the jobs recovery has not yet begun. Low-income people, particularly those parenting alone, are facing two significant challenges. The first is simply keeping their heads above water, as they struggle to cover their rent or mortgage, to meet the continually rising costs of energy, to cover the costs of transportation, of putting food on the table and of educating their children, all during a period of high unemployment and few sustainable labour market opportunities. The second challenge is how to develop the skills necessary to participate in any economic recovery and to be capable of benefiting from future economic growth.’

Any successful poverty reduction strategy for Ireland must include a new approach to social assistance programmes that recognises these challenges.  The Irish Government needs an overall vision for social assistance. Its adoption of poverty reduction as a goal in social policy must be echoed by creating a 21st century income security system, with underlying principles recognizing diversity through creating equity, treating people with dignity and respect, enhancing social and economic inclusion and eradicating poverty traps.

Duffin continues, ‘One Family’s Ten Solutions are all about delivering some of the supports needed to enable those parenting alone to have better futures out of poverty, off social assistance and in quality, sustainable jobs.  A key element of reform will be the Government’s commitment to flexibilities within the system:  for example, lone parents who transition to Jobseeker’s Allowance should not be required to be available for fulltime work but rather for 15 hours per week during school hours. This should mitigate many of the child protection concerns that have arisen around 7 year olds being left on their own. A series of flexibilities or exemptions are required in the UK and many other countries to allow for a lack of childcare, lack of transport, a child with a disability, separation, bereavement, home-schooling and so on.’

Ends

For more information contact Hilary Fennell, Communications Manager, One Family, 01 6629212 / 087 2359515 or  Stuart Duffin, Welfare to Work Manager, 087 0622023

 

One Family welcomes restructuring of Child Benefit

/in /by

Media Release, 14 August 2012

One Family welcomes restructuring of Child Benefit

Following reports that wealthy parents will be able to hand back the €140-a-month child benefit payment to the State if they wish, under new measures being drawn up by Government officials, One Family’s Stuart Duffin states, ‘As part of our submission for Budget 2013 we are recommending a restructuring of Child Benefit to ensure that it is tailored to those most in need.’

One Family recommends the following approach to child benefit:

An unconditional, non-withdrawable income payable to each child as a right.

A second level payment tailored to the needs of the family ensuring that the needs of economically disadvantaged families, such as those parenting alone, are fully recognized. This second level assistance should be seen as income and therefore means-tested, for example through the tax system, and could be paid to low income families as a refundable tax credit.

Duffin continues, ‘Putting money into the hands of low-income families and in particular lone parents, who will spend that money at businesses in their communities, helps keep the economy moving. Increases to incomes will go directly to the purchase of food, clothing and other household necessities, benefiting not only low-income families but also our economy.’

Ends

 

For more information contact:

Hilary Fennell, Communications Manager, One Family, 01 6629212

or

Stuart Duffin, Welfare to Work Manager, One Family, 01 6629212