Press Releases – Page 2

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National Library of Ireland marks acquisition of Cherish archive

Collection provides insight into life for lone-parent families from 1970s onwards

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The National Library of Ireland (NLI) has today (24.04.23) announced the acquisition of the archive of Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families One Family, formerly known as Cherish. Dating from the organisation’s establishment in the early 1970s to the early 2000s, the archive provides an insight into the experiences and challenges of one-parent families at that time.

Cherish was set up in 1972 by Maura O’Dea Richards after she placed an advert in The Evening Herald seeking to reach other women in Ireland who were unmarried and had children. A small number answered the advert and Cherish was born. It took its name from the 1916 Proclamation, which declared that Ireland would “cherish all of the children of the nation equally”. Cherish changed its name to One Family in 2004, in recognition of a changing Ireland in which one-parent families existed in many forms.
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The archive comprises two parts: the first contains case files that record the circumstances of individual women who came to Cherish for advice and support, and includes correspondence dating from 1974 to 1987. The second part of the archive contains the administrative records of the organisation, and includes AGM minutes, submissions, correspondence and publications lobbying for legislative reform.

Speaking at an event to mark the acquisition, Director of the NLI, Dr Audrey Whitty said: “The NLI is Ireland’s memory keeper and as such we are committed to collecting Ireland’s many voices and their diverse experience. We are increasingly adding the stories of women and under-represented groups to our collections. We are proud to receive these papers from Cherish, which provide a fascinating insight into the lives of one-parent families from the early 1970s, societal attitudes towards them, and how they have changed over the years.”
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CEO of One Family, Karen Kiernan said: “The archival material we have donated to the National Library provides insights into the lives of one-parent families in Ireland in the very recent past. It gives 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. This comes through in some of the letters from service users that are included in the archive – some are heartbreaking, others are full of positivity where family and community support is clear.”

Mary Kerrigan ran the Clare/Limerick branch of Cherish for many years. She said: “Despite being an unmarried mother in the 1970s and the stigma I felt from some people, they may now think I am a very important person because the Cherish records are in the archives of the National Library of Ireland. What the women in Cherish did made a massive difference to society in Ireland, working hard for social, financial and legal rights for unmarried mothers and their children which is something One Family continues to this day. We did this with the help of people such as Mary Robinson, who was our President until she became President of Ireland.”

ENDS
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Notes to Editors:

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. The Client Case Files and correspondence that contains personal information has been designated “Not for Consultation” (NFC) and will not be available to researchers. The Cherish administrative and organisational records will be catalogued and available to researchers by the end of 2023.

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One Family’s New Futures Employability Programme has done it again and won the Special Recognition Award at the Aontas Star Awards. This is the second time the employability programme, which boasts a 85% progression rate, has won this prestigious honour, having scooped the same award in 2019. The award was presented at a ceremony in Croke Park, Dublin this morning.

Karen Kiernan CEO of One Family said, “We’re just so proud of Valerie Maher, Niamh Wynne and all the New Futures team. This is a huge achievement and it is recognition of the team’s hard work but also recognition for all of the parents who have gone through the programme. Huge thank you to ESF Ireland for funding the programme and our current partners the Department of Social Protection who are working with us to deliver the programme through the EaSI programme.”

New Future’s sister course, the New Steps Personal Development programme will start on May 10th delivered via Zoom each Wednesday morning from 10am to 12.30pm. The programme is open to lone parents receiving the One-Parent Family Payment (OPF) or Job Seekers Transitional Payment (JST) and who are living in Cavan, Monaghan, Louth or Meath.

To register and for more information please email programmes@onefamily.ie or call Niamh at 01 662 9212. For more information about One Family please click here https://onefamily.ie/education-development/employability-programmes/new-steps/

One Family’s employability and education programmes are part supported by funding received under the Gender Equality Activity of the European Social Fund (ESF) Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020 (‘PEIL’) and the Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) programme 2014-2020.

The ESF PEIL Gender Equality Activity aims to promote social inclusion and combat discrimination in the labour market. The EaSI programme aims to promote a high level of quality and sustainable employment, guaranteeing adequate and decent social protection, combating social exclusion, poverty, and improving working conditions.
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Referendum on Who is Family – symbolic reparation for wrongs of the past

One Family welcomes announcement of commitment for referendum on who is family and care in the Constitution.

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Press release:

Wednesday, 8 March 2022

One Family – Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families has welcomed today’s announcement that a referendum on Family, Care and Gender Equality is to be held in November 2023 saying that an inclusive view to family can act as an ‘act of symbolic reparation’ for the wrongs of the past. The planned referendum announced by the Taoiseach this morning comes following the report of the Citizens Assembly on Gender Equality, the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality and following years of campaigning by one-parent families groups seeking equality for non-marital families.
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One Family CEO Karen Kiernan said, “We welcome today’s announcement of a date for a referendum on Gender Equality and the Definition of the Family. The current Article 41.3 of the Constitution on the definition of the family denies one-parent families the same constitutional protection as married families and we will be campaigning for this to change in the forthcoming referendum. Given Ireland’s grim treatment of unmarried parents and their children in previous decades, a vote to change this Article could be seen as an act of a symbolic reparation for the sins of the past. We need this combined with a new inclusive financial reparation for survivors of the Mother and Baby Homes and Magdalene Laundries to help to heal the wounds of the past.”
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One Family/Cherish founder Maura O’Dea Richards said, “As a so-called ‘unmarried mother’ in 1970s Ireland. I repeatedly saw women with no choice, who were forced to put their children up for adoption, go into Mother & Baby Homes or become homeless and outcast. While Article 41.3 of the Constitution has little practical impact on the lives of families today – I believe it is a symbol. A symbol of discrimination and isolation. It tells families they are ‘other’ they are outside our community and society. All families are entitled to respect and protection. Discrimination against families who are not married must end and a vote to change Article 41.3 is a hugely symbolic step to achieve this .”

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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.

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 visit:

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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Press release:

Wednesday, 22 February 2022

One Family – Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families has warned the rise in poverty rates in lone parent families show Government policies designed to tackle poverty are failing. The warning comes as the latest Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) published by the CSO confirms consistent poverty in one-parent families rose to 14.1% in 2022, almost three times the rate of the general population (5%). Deprivation in one-parent families remains unacceptably high with almost half (43.5%) of households with one adult with children under 18 years of age living in deprivation, this compares to 17.7% of people in two-parent households. The charity is calling on Government to urgently introduce targeted support for struggling one-parent families.
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Karen Kiernan, CEO with One Family said, “It’s just not right in a country as wealthy as Ireland that almost half (43.5%) of one-parent families are living in deprivation, while a quarter (23.8%) are at risk of poverty and 14.1% of lone parents are living in consistent poverty. Behind these statistics are real children and families who are struggling to feed and house themselves. There is no let up for these families and while short-term measures keep the wolf from the door for a month or two, that wolf is lurking; these families need targeted long-term support to help them escape poverty.”
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Niamh Kelly, Policy Manager with One Family said, “We have seen how a lack of effective policymaking and failure to target one-parent families by Government has resulted in the high levels of poverty and deprivation experienced by one-parent families. In both Budget 2023 and yesterday’s cost-of-living package the Government chose populist, once-off payments over much needed targeted, sustainable measures. As chair of the National One Parent Family Alliance (NOPFA), a group of ten organisations working together to reduce the high levels of poverty experienced by lone parents and their children, we have put forward evidenced based solutions and targeted measures which will reduce the high rates of poverty and deprivation to Government. We are deeply concerned about children in one parent families living in deprivation and we believe this needs to be recognised with cost-of-living measures that are targeted, not populist.”

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For Editors:

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

Link to CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions statistics
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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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Lone parent and separating families cautiously optimistic following publication of the new Family Justice Strategy and child maintenance reforms

Putting the needs and voice of children first in family law proceedings will require a root and branch reform of how we manage separation in this country

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Press release:

Wednesday, 16^th November 2022

Lone parent and separating families are “cautiously optimistic” following the publication, this afternoon, of the Department of Justice’s new Family Law Strategy and reforms of Child Maintenance according to One Family – Ireland’s national organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting and separating. One Family was a member of the advisory group on the Family Justice Strategy advocating for the needs of separating families and those sharing parenting of their children.
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Karen Kiernan CEO of One Family said, “We welcome the publication of the new strategy, which is a ‘step in the right direction’. We particularly welcome the strong commitment to centre the needs and voice of children in family law proceedings which affect them. This will require a root and branch rethink of how we currently manage separation in this country and needs to be adequately funded. We also welcome the publication of the Child Maintenance Review Group Report and the measures to be introduced by the Department of Social Protection. It is good the Department has listened to the major problems and poverty parents have experienced due to their draconian rules. Unfortunately, the Government and review group have not fully understood the need to remove Child Maintenance from an adversarial court system and that will sadly continue.”
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Karen Kiernan continued, “What families really require is a well-trained and resourced judiciary who are supported by out of court family supports including specialist services such as assessments for court; child contact centres; therapeutic and parenting services. It is disappointing that there is no plan or resources in this strategy for these necessary family support services. These supports ultimately empower families to make their own decisions and save the state money as well as decreasing family conflict and harm to children. If we know that separating in conflict and being thrown into an adversarial court processes harms parents and causes adverse effects on children – why do we continue to support such a harmful system with state funding?
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“One Family has been working on the frontline of helping parents separate well for their children with piecemeal funding for innovative services and critical research. A much more strategic approach is required to ensure all families can benefit from services that are outside the court process as is routinely available in neighbouring countries.”

“This strategy is to be welcomed but we need to see the resources that will be available to support all the various agencies to deliver this strategy. Funding will need to be provided including financial support for some families, to ensure children’s voices are heard.”

Note: One Family will be holding their third webinar on Family Law Reform on 5 December 4-6pm with a range of academics, practitioners and the Dept of Justice to reflect on this strategy, the new Family Courts Bill and emerging research and practice to support separating families. Register here:

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For Editors:

Relevant One Family Submissions:

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice Submission on the General Scheme of the Family Court Bill. Link here.
Family Justice Oversight Group Consultation. Link here.

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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Government offers armbands when a lifeboat is needed.

Long-term targeted supports are needed to stop families being pulled into poverty.

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Press release:

Monday, 14^th November 2022,

One Family, Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families, has said universal and short-term social welfare increases are akin to offering struggling families ‘armbands when a lifeboat is needed’. Extensive research has shown that one-parent families require targeted long-term supports to address soaring poverty rates, yet Government failed to act in Budget 2023 despite all the evidence. The call comes as the charity launched its Annual Review 2021 which sees a 13% increase in calls to the askonefamily helpline.
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One Family CEO, Karen Kiernan said, “This week’s once-off social welfare payments are to be welcomed and will help families in the short-term but many struggling one-parent families are ineligible for these payments and will face a bleak new year. We are seeing through our services families struggling to keep their heads above water and we are deeply concerned about the new year and what the bleak days of early 2023 have in store. Let’s be under no illusions, in the last Budget, this Government prioritised its own electoral success over the needs of the poorest children in the state. These short-term and universal measures will leave the poorest children in the state even poorer in the long-term.”
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Karen Kiernan continued, “Last year due to the incredible generosity of the public we were able to issue over €16,000 worth of food, back to school vouchers, and family tickets directly to children and families in need. Our worry is, as we start our Christmas Toy Appeal, is this year’s demand will exceed what we are able to deliver. In real terms, this means children and families will go hungry and cold as they run out of options. This just isn’t right in a country as wealthy as Ireland. The families we support desperately need targeted long-term supports. Government have all the facts and information but are not moving – we must ask why they seem blind to the needs on one-parent families.”

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For Editors:

Link to One Family Annual Review:
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For further information visit: https://onefamily.ie/

Stats from the One Family Annual Review:

Service user numbers:

2021 – 3,159 families

Helpline figures:

2021 – 4265 queries

Helpline queries by category:

Query Type	2021
Family Law	32%
Social welfare and Finances	34%
Family and parenting	14%
Adult ed/employment	4%
Support	16%
Total no. of queries	4265

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Survey marking 50^th anniversary of One Family reveals negative attitudes continue towards one-parent families.

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Press Release

Friday 14 October 2022

A survey looking at perceived attitudes to lone parents has revealed 80% of the 265 lone parents who completed the survey have experienced stigma or judgemental attitudes due to their family type. The survey results have been released as One Family, formerly Cherish, Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families celebrates its 50^th anniversary at an event at the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.
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Founder of One Family, Maura O’Dea Richards, said, “When we set up Cherish/One Family in October 1972 unmarried mothers were being ostracised in society and imprisoned in the laundries. Now 50 years later, it’s so sad to see these ridiculous attitudes to people parenting alone persist. A lot has changed in Ireland since 1972, and we now like to think of ourselves as a progressive forward-thinking country, but we still seem to have this blind spot about those parenting alone. It’s just not right and will continue until Ireland embraces all families. A good first start would be to change article 41.3 of the Constitution on the definition of the family.”
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Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family, said, “I’d like to say the survey results are a shock to us but they’re not. Through our work with families, we hear regular reports of discrimination, stigma and judgemental attitudes against one-parent families. Unfortunately, this seems to be manifesting in Government policy decisions. Since 2016, there have been more than 16 separate reports on lone parents and poverty, all say these families are the poorest in the state and need targeted supports. Yet we have no action by Government. Both the ESRI and CSO have shown, contrary to Government assertions, that lone parents will be worse-off following last month’s budget. Yet another blind eye is turned in Ireland’s relationship with one-parent families. Often indifference and discrimination can amount to the same thing.”
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Sinéad Gibney, Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) said, “Firstly I’d like to congratulate One Family for 50 years supporting one-parent families in Ireland. As a lone parent myself, I find the results of this vox pop survey extremely disappointing but unfortunately not surprising. I encourage anyone from a one-parent family who believes they have experienced discrimination to contact the IHREC offices and we will investigate the claim; no-one should be discriminated against because of their family type.”

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For Editors:
One Family was founded in October 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. For more information on One Family visit: www.onefamily.ie
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Survey Results:

This non-scientific survey was conducted online with one-parent families from 5/10/2022 to 12/10/2022 and had 265 respondents and was open to members of one-parent families. The survey had four questions:

Q1) Do you think people in one-parent families experience stigma or judgemental attitudes because of their family type in Ireland?

Yes 85.20%

No 13%

Don’t Know: 1.6%
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Q2) Have you experienced stigma or judgemental attitudes towards you or your family because of the type of family you are in?

Yes 80.58%

No 19.42%
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Q3) If you feel you have experienced negative attitudes because you are in a one-parent family, where has this been? (Respondents could give more than one answer)

Health Service: 39.89%

Education: 40.43%

Social Protection Services: 39.89%

Media: 45.21%

In my workplace: 28.72%

Family law courts: 32.45%

Law enforcement: 12.23%

Family and friends: 60.64%
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Quotes from parents relating to the answer above:

“GAA matches where other mothers wouldn’t engage much with me no matter how hard I tried to become friendly with them so I wouldn’t be standing on the side-lines alone.”

Quote from a mother

“Much of this is unintentional, but as a single parent much of the societal demands are worse for single parents e.g. affidavit getting a passport…The current creche crisis is especially grim for single working parents. Very much the expectation that a partner can take the child etc… I very envious of friends who both work from home and can juggle some childcare- feels like institutionalised stigma.”

Quote from a mother

“Local neighbours automatically asking about my ‘husband’ and being awkward when I tell them I’m single..”

Quote from a mother

“Community organisations who often do not understand that single parents can’t just leave their kids at home to attend ‘adult-only’ events and that many single parents can’t afford to pay a babysitter”

Quote from a mother

“I don’t fit a media or advocacy group stereotype so I tend to get an immediate dismissal when I mention this but …With some state and financial services I found when I initially became a male co-parent it meant I got a dismissive or occasionally quite negative response. Conversation tones and approaches negatively changed if I was being dealt with by a younger female provider with lots of ‘hummms’ or ‘sure right’ as if I’d invited the situation I was going through on to myself and my kids…”

Quote from a father

Q4) As a member of a one parent family how do you feel about your family type?

Positive 59.63%

Neutral 30.28%

Negative 10.09%

Selected comments from parents:

“I feel sorry for my child that the other parent didn’t want to be involved in their life. It is also a huge struggle after the child turns 18 you as a parent still have pay for college pay your bills and mortgage on your own with no benefits if your a full time worker.”

Quote from a mother

“Because I have raised her in a happy home….I have no one that divides my attention or contributes to conflict. It has been me and her for 17 years and we are so close. I really feel we are a lot closer as a mother and daughter than some of my friends who have children who are with their partners”

Quote from a mother

For further information visit: www.onefamily.ie
Available for Interview

Karen Kiernan, CEO

Further Information/Scheduling
Noel Sweeney, Communications and Events Manager | t: 085 7241294

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Press Release,
Tuesday, 13 September, 2022.

New guidelines for one-parent families and public bodies have been launched today by Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), Sinéad Gibney. The guidelines were developed by One Family – Ireland’s national organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting and separating and are based on the voices and experiences of rights holders who participated in the research.
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Speaking at the launch, IHREC Chief Commissioner, Sinéad Gibney said, “The guidelines launched today will give parents guidance on their rights and importantly, will give public sector organisations a framework for protecting the human rights of one-parent families. Public sector organisations have an obligation to abide by the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty and ensure discrimination, if it does occur, is addressed promptly and transparently. One parent families deserve to be treated with respect and equality. These guidelines give parents a clear roadmap to address their concerns if they feel they have been discriminated against.”
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Niamh Kelly, One Family, Policy Manager said, “Listening to the experiences of people parenting alone has shown that while there is some good practice in providing services to one-parent families in public bodies, some public sector organisations are falling short of fulfilling their commitment to the Public Sector Duty and discrimination against one-parent families does unfortunately still occur. Parents told us they want to be treated with the respect and dignity their family deserves, they want equality for their family and an understanding by those working in public bodies of the unique challenges facing one-parent families. Our aim with the Human Rights, Equality and One-Parent Family guidelines is to bridge the gap in parents’ knowledge of their rights and protections under legislation and in public bodies’ understanding of the realities for people in one-parent families and help them fulfil their obligations under the Public Sector Duty.”
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Quotes from parents participating in the research:

The positive:
“My Department of Social Protection Case Officer was professional, kind and insightful…she recognised and acknowledged my previous skills, training and education.”
“When I split up with my child’s Dad, I had to get on to Revenue….and there was just somebody on the phone, and they were just really human. Just like “Oh, well, I hope you’re okay now”, you know… it was just a really human interaction.”

The negative:
“I was pregnant, I had nowhere to live, I was a nervous wreck. And I went into the services for support, and a man just looked at me with such contempt and he said, “You’re not going to get yourself a house now, just because you’ve gotten yourself into a stupid situation.”
“The woman I was speaking to and was referred to said to me it is my own fault, that if I didn’t have my child, I could have a career. That was it. I left the meeting, and I complained.”
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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.

Link to guidelines:

Guide for parents:

Guide for public sector bodies:

More information on the Public Sector Human Rights and Equality Duty:

Public Sector Human Rights and Equality Duty:

For further information visit: www.onefamily.ie

Available for Interview
Niamh Kelly, Policy Manager | t: 01-6629212

Further Information/Scheduling
Noel Sweeney, Communications and Events Manager | t: 085 7241294
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Cost of living increases are pushing more one-parent families into poverty

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Government must act now before low families are locked into poverty.

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One Family, Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families, has called for urgent Government action to support low-income families in Budget 2023. Struggling one-parent families are being forced to choose between heat and food and the charity is extremely worried for winter 2022 without urgent Government action. The call comes as the charity launches its Pre-Budget Submission ahead of the Department of Social Protection’s Pre-Budget Forum on Wednesday. According to data from the CSO, children in one-parent families are four time more likely to live in poverty than children in two parent households.

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Niamh Kelly, One Family, Policy Manager said, “We are hearing from the families we work with they are increasingly concerned as prices continue to escalate. For any household, the costs of housing, food and fuel are a burden, but for one-parent families, many of whom are already living in poverty, they are huge. Budget 2023 must target those most in need and we are urging the Government to avoid the temptation for populist universal cash back schemes. Increasing core social welfare rates beyond inflation is the only chance many of the families we support have to keep their heads above water.”
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In its Pre-Budget Submission, the charity is calling for measures including increasing the Qualified Child Increase (QCI) payment by €12 for children over 12 years and €7 for children under 12 years, the establishment of an independent child maintenance agency to protect children from poverty and reduce parental conflict, and equality for one parent families accessing Government supports such as Parent’s Benefit and the Working Family Payment. To read the submission click here.
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Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family, “We know from our work with families the cost-of-living crisis is having a disproportionately high impact on one-parent families. For many families, who were already struggling, these increases will push them into a current of poverty that will be very hard to escape from. In real terms, this means children and families will go hungry and cold this winter as they run out of options. This just isn’t right in Ireland in the twenty-first century. In Budget 2023, Government must show they have learned the lessons of the Magdalene laundries and prioritise those on the margins. This Budget must be a life buoy and not a rock for low-income families.”
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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 click here

Available for Interview

Niamh Kelly, Policy Manager | t: 01 -6629212

Further Information/Scheduling

Noel Sweeney, Communications and Events Manager | t: 085 7241294
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New Research Seeks to Shed Light on Families Sharing Parenting of Young Children

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Press Release

Wednesday, 9 March 2022

One Family, Ireland’s national organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting and separating is seeking parents to take part in an online survey on the experiences of young children living in families where parents are separated. The survey is being carried out by a joint research team from Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork on behalf of One Family. The research project is funded through the RTE Toy Show Appeal and Community Foundation for Ireland Fund and is seeking to develop guidance on contact time for infants and young children in separated families. To complete the survey click here.
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Niamh Kelly, Policy Manager with One Family said, “The most common time for parents to separate is when their child or children are very young. Many families seek help in setting up and managing contact arrangements but find there is no uniform approach. We see through our work with families, parents often struggle to determine how to best share the parenting of their young children. This can be extremely challenging for parents and children alike, particularly in situations where there is conflict, abuse and/or limited contact between parents. We want to change all this by developing a child-centred, best practice tool that can be used by parents, legal and social care professionals alike, to make safe and optimal contact arrangements for children under the age of six years.”
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The survey is open to Mums and Dads who have experience of sharing parenting of a child or children when they were aged 0-6 years old. Parents can answer for past experiences, once their child is under 18 years of age at time of responding. For more information and to take part in the survey click here. The survey is open until 31st of March and will take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete.
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Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of The Community Foundation for Ireland said: “Our mission of equality for all in thriving communities will only ever be achieved if it is rooted in the experiences of people. This is an opportunity for separated parents to have their voices heard and provide the real-world experiences and learnings which can help form a best practice tool which will benefit many others. On behalf of The Community Foundation we welcome this ground-breaking work as an important contribution to ensuring all children have the best start in life.”
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Dr Simone McCaughren, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin said, ““This research will examine the impact of contact arrangements on young children, from their parents’ point of view, following separation, divorce or where parents were never in a relationship but have a child. This is the first time in Ireland that this issue has been the subject of a research study. Part of it will examine the extent to which children’s voices are heard. It will look at the complexities and difficulties around decisions on guardianship, access and custody.”
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Dr Aisling Parkes, Senior Lecturer, School of Law, University College Cork said, “The time is ripe for a critical exploration into this issue which affects the lives of so many children and families in Ireland today. Recent times have witnessed a variety of legal and policy developments in Ireland in the area of children’s rights, but often the voices of smaller children are left unheard. This research seeks to tap into the unique perspectives of separated parents of young children who have direct experience of parenting a child in common. It aims to learn more about the main challenges associated with these arrangements and how parents seek to navigate their way through them. In particular, the research will provide a snapshot of the extent to which young children themselves are included in the decision-making processes around these arrangements.
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To complete the survey:

https://tcdecon.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_00WRfyxqpk7uN8y

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For Editors:

One Family:
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.
For further information visit: www.onefamily.ie

Background to the research:
Pregnancy and the first year of a baby’s life is the most common point of separation for parents. Many parents seek assistance during the separation process; particularly when this intersects with pregnancy, an infant or young child, high conflict, abuse and/or limited parental communication. One Family works with parents and their children, providing counselling and parenting services during this time.
There is no uniform approach to contact with infants or young children for separated families in Ireland with the various stakeholders holding different perspectives and placing varying emphasis on factors such as the principle of the best interest of the child, child protection, parental rights etc. Due to the lack of a consistent, evidenced-based approach parents often struggle to determine how to best share parenting of young children. This research project funded through the RTE Toy Show Appeal Community Foundation Ireland seeks to develop guidance on contact time for infants and young children in separated families to support parents during this difficult time. To read more about this project click here.

Available for Interview:
Niamh Kelly, Policy Manager | t: 01-6629212
Further Information/Scheduling
Noel Sweeney, Communications and Events Manager | t: 085 7241294
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Thursday, 10 February 2022
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Government measures to address the Cost-of-Living Crisis have been described as ‘a missed opportunity’ by One Family – Ireland’s national organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting and separating reacted to the Government ‘cost of living measures.’
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Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family, said, “The cost-of-living crisis is having a disproportionately high impact on those who are already struggling. The measures announced this evening are a missed opportunity. By giving a little back to everyone instead of targeted resources at those most in need, the most vulnerable will continue to suffer. Right now, more than one in every four one-parent families are living in consistent poverty. This Cost-of-Living crisis is landing on top of families already in the midst of a poverty crisis.
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“One Family had urged the Government to choose targeted, sustainable measures, instead of short term, universal payouts. For example, the lump sum Fuel Allowance payment will help families struggling pay one, maybe two months’ bills; but extending the payable Fuel Allowance period to 32 weeks would have restored purchasing power for these families long-term. ”

Recipients of the Working Family Payment saw least gains in Budget 2022, with the €10 increase announced barely keeping a pace with inflation. Bringing forward this increase is a token gesture, when what these families really need is to be eligible for the Fuel Allowance. Such a move would have cost the Government approximately €43 millionbut would have protected the most vulnerable working families.

Low income families need a long-term strategy with targeted supports rather than piecemeal gestures, this is yet again, another wasted opportunity.
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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.
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.
According to the latest EU SILC data published by the Central Statistics Office in December 2021, 21.6% of households headed by one adult with one or more children were living in consistent poverty in 2020.
For further information visit: www.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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Ahead of the Oireachtas debate on the motion to establish a Joint Committee on Gender Equality today (9th November 2021), civil society organisations have welcomed the setting up of this Committee and called on it to implement the recommendations of the Citizens Assembly on Gender Equality in full, prioritising a referendum to make the recommended Constitutional changes in relation to non- discrimination (Art. 40), the value of care (Art. 41.2. on ‘woman in the home’) and Article 41.3 on the Constitutional definition of the family.

The recommendations by the Citizens Assembly are ground-breaking and send a strong and clear signal to Government and all decision makers that gender equality needs to be at the centre of our Constitution, our legislation and our policies.

These recommendations come after long campaigns by civil society organisations to reform our constitution to reflect a modern Ireland with the value of equality at its centre.

Orla O’Connor, Director of the National Women’s Council (NWC) said,

“We welcome and support the establishment of the Committee to discuss how we can best implement the comprehensive recommendations by the Citizens Assembly on Gender Equality. In particular, we call on the Committee to prioritise the necessary changes to our Constitution on women, the value of care and care work and on the definition of the family.

In line with the recommendations of the Citizens Assembly, we urgently need to replace the sexist and outdated wording of Art. 41.2 of our Constitution and replace it with wording that recognises the value of care within the home and the wider community.”

Karen Kiernan, One Family said,

“The establishment of this Committee on Gender Equality is very welcome to drive forward the implementation of the wide-ranging recommendations by the Citizens Assembly. The recommendation to recognise all forms of families in our Constitution, not only families based on marriage, will finally recognise the diversity of family life in Ireland and particularly provide status and recognition to one parent families.”

Organisations supporting this call include the National Women’s Council (NWC), One Family, Irish Council of Civil Liberties (ICCL), Children’s Rights Alliance, Treoir, Family Carers Ireland and Care Alliance Ireland.

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For more information, please contact Silke Paasche, Head of Communications, NWC, Tel. 085 858 9104.

Notes to Editor:

Full report on the recommendation of the Citizens Assembly

Recommendations in relation to the Constitution are:

Insert a new clause into Article 40 to refer explicitly to gender equality and non-discrimination.
Delete and replace the text of Article 41.2 (woman in the home) with language that is not gender specific and obliges the State to take reasonable measures to support care within the home and wider community.
Amend Article 41 so that it would protect private and family life, with the protection afforded to the family not limited to the marital family.

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Piecemeal budget fails to deliver for Ireland’s poorest families

Welcome moves as some inequalities for one-parent families removed while others are compounded

Press Release – One Family react to Budget 2022

October 12, 2021

Budget 2022 contained many measures to be welcomed but ultimately failed to deliver for Ireland’s poorest families. National statistics and numerous Government and independent reports have proven the link between one-parent families and poverty. This budget should have used the evidence and focussed on targeted measures to support the poorest families and loosen poverty’s grip on children. Instead, what we got was a giveaway budget that focused on headlines rather than solutions.

Karen Kiernan CEO of One Family said, “We welcome the measures such as the €10 increase in the Back to School Clothing & Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) for each qualifying child and we especially welcome that the income threshold for single parent households is now the same as that of two parent households; this is something we have campaigned for. The €5 increase in weekly social welfare payments and the paying of 100% of the Christmas bonus for social welfare will be welcome for families. While on the Carers Allowance, the income disregard increases for single carers and lone parents is to be welcomed too. We have huge concerns though, about the lack of supports for one-parent families in the rental sector while private landlords are supported, we see no help for these families. The investment in childcare is a welcome step on the road to a fully publicly funded system, but it’s imperative the additional funding makes access easier for low-income families.”

Niamh Kelly, One Family Policy Manager said, “We welcome some inequalities for one-parent families being removed such as changes to the BSCFA but we are concerned with others being compounded in this Budget such as with Parents Benefit. While an increase is welcome, one-parent families are still only entitled to half the leave of two-parent families. We can understand the difficulties of dealing with historical inequalities in an antiquated system, but this is an inequality that is newly introduced. We are also sceptical about the Fuel Allowance increase. The increase of €5 is below the basic rate of fuel/energy inflation. We would have preferred to see the payment period increase to 32 weeks to support families. Overall, this is a piecemeal budget that leaves many families in the cold.”

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Note to editors:

About One Family:

Statistics on one-parent families:

Source: Census 2016

1 in 5 people in Ireland live in a one-parent family.
1 in 4 families with children in Ireland is a one-parent family.
4% of one parent families are headed by a mother, and 13.6% by a father.
The number of one-parent families headed by a parent aged 15-34 has decreased, while the number of one-parent families headed by a parent aged 35+ has increased.
356,203 children lived in one parent families, representing more than one in five or 21.2% of all children in family units.
The average one parent family has 1.63 children compared to an average of 1.95 for the population overall.
The total number of divorced people in Ireland has increased from 87,770 in 2011 to 103,895 in 2016.This is an increase of over 44,000 people in the last ten years.

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

Available for Interview

Niamh Kelly | Policy Manager

Further Information/Scheduling

Noel Sweeney, Communications and Events Manager | t: 085 7241294
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In 2020 there was a 20% increase in demand for One Family’s services for lone parent and separating families including 17% increase in demand for Parenting during Separation courses

Press Release

Ireland is facing a tsunami of separation and divorce following the pandemic and family law and support services are not prepared according to One Family – Ireland’s national organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting and separating. The charity, commenting at the launch of its Annual Review for 2020, said demand for its specialised family support services dramatically increased in 2020 with a 20% rise in client services and a 17% increase in demand for its parenting during separation courses.

One Family CEO, Karen Kiernan said, “For many separated families the pandemic and lockdowns acted as a pressure cooker exasperating old grievances and increasing conflict. There was a huge increase in calls from parents in distress (68% increase in calls to the askonefamily helpline in Q2 2020 compared with the same period in 2019) as issues of relationship breakdown, access, guardianship and child maintenance coincided with reduced access to courts services; leading to increased conflict and mental distress. We worked to support parents and we provided information guides, advocated on behalf of parents, and brought all our services on-line affectively bringing our services to every county. But this demand for services, particularly our mediation and Tusla funded Separating Well for Children service, has meant services are now extremely stressed and we are worried about a future surge as families struggle with family breakdown.”

Geraldine Kelly, One Family Director of Parenting Services said, “What we found is that support services are there in local communities if you have a parenting issue or if you are separating amicably but if there is conflict, or legal issues, which is often the case, specialist services are very hard to find. Currently, we are receiving calls from support services across the country looking to refer families to us and we are trying to accommodate them. But we have limited resources and demand is so high. This leaves many families in crisis waiting longer than we would like. At the moment, we have with a six-month waiting list for Separating Well for Children and eighteen-month wait for counselling services; when your family is in crisis this is a long-time. Any delay can increase the level of conflict in the family and impact greatly on the wellbeing of children and parents.”

One Family CEO, Karen Kiernan said, “We need to see a commitment from Government to provide funding in local communities for separating families, people sharing parenting and particularly for those in conflict. There is a tsunami approaching which will have a knock-on effect on children and families unless we prepare now.”

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For Editors:

Link to One Family Annual Review:

Two case studies of how One Family supported families during the pandemic:

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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Press statement

Tuesday 14, 2021
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One Family – Ireland’s national organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting and separating have reacted to today’s Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission/ERSI report on adequate housing by saying they are shocked but not surprised by findings that less than 25 per cent of lone parents reported home-ownership, compared with 70 per cent of total population. The report also found that lone parents had higher rates of affordability issues (19 per cent) when compared to the general population (5 per cent) and were particularly vulnerable to housing quality problems such as damp and lack of central heating (32 per cent compared to 22 per cent of total population).
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Karen Kiernan, One Family CEO, said “Unfortunately we are not surprised by the findings of today’s report. Through our services we are hearing reports daily of parents living in substandard accommodation, being blocked from work due to HAP restrictions and waiting months on emergency accommodation. We are calling on the Government to urgently develop a family homelessness strategy, which includes targeted measures for one-parent families. We were disappointed that no provision for such a strategy was made in the Government’s Housing For All Strategy; this was a missed opportunity. What this report makes clears is Government must act now to protect children in one-parent families. Yet again we are asking them to use the evidence in-front of them.
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We agree with the UN Rapporteur Balakrishnan Rajagopal that the treatment of one-parent families in Ireland raises serious questions for the Irish Government and that they must act now. Thousands of children are spending their childhoods growing up in emergency accommodation – most of them living with one parent. We don’t want this to be the Mother& Baby Home scandal of the future – we must prioritise those most in need for housing and the Government must act now as the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to housing has said.”

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For Editors:

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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.
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Available for Interview:

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Karen Kiernan, CEO | t: 01 662 9212 or 086 850 9191
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Niamh Kelly, Policy Manager | t: 01 662 9212
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Further Information/Scheduling

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Noel Sweeney, Communications and Events Manager | t: 01 622 9212 or 085 724 1294
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23 June 2021
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The CSO’s Pulse Survey May-June 2021 – Life at Home: Snapshot of Results shows hardship and discrimination continue for lone parents. Survey results show 68% of lone parents saying they are often under financial pressure while 41%* reported feeling lonely all or most of the time. While 48% of lone parents said they often experience judgemental attitudes or exclusion as a lone parent.
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Karen Kiernan CEO of One Family said, “Unfortunately these statistics aren’t news for us. In our work with parents, we see the barriers that are put in place for parents every day from housing, education, and social welfare to access to vaccination centres. It seems our society is designed for two-parent families and anyone outside of this is excluded.”
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“What is deeply saddening is that in the year of the publication the Mother and Baby Home Commission Report and the horrors that it revealed, 48% of lone parents still report they often experience judgemental attitudes or exclusion as a lone parent. Government needs to use the evidence in front of it to improve the lives of lone parents and their children in Budget 2022. They also need to change Article 41.3 of the Constitution on the definition of the family so that all families feel included in our society so any notion of stigma or shame is ended.”
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*Due to a CSO processing error, the loneliness figure was originally reported as 59% this has now been corrected to 41%. Link here.
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For Editors

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For further information visit: onefamily.ie
CSO Pulse Survey May-June 2021 – Life at Home: Snapshot of Results

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For Interview:

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Karen Kiernan, CEO | t: 086 850 9191
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Further Information/Scheduling:

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Children’s rights should guide family law reform.

Courts should be last resort for separating families, where there are no safety concerns.

Wednesday 2 June 2021

A webinar on family law reform has been told children’s rights should guide family law reform. The Building a Family Law System for Children webinar hosted by One Family, heard from national and international experts with panellists from the Department of Justice, Courts Service, academia from the UK and Ireland and a High Court Judge from Northern Ireland.

Dr Jan Ewing of the University of Exeter’s Law School and member of the Family Solutions Group which authored the report “What about me?”) said, “Ireland has the opportunity to learn from the experience and mistakes of England and Wales to create a world-class family law system centred on the rights, needs and safety of the child. Where there are safety issues, these must be prioritised and accessible, affordable access to legal advice and the Family Court are needed. However, in the absence of safety or other welfare concerns, court should be a last resort for parenting disputes. Instead, parents need access to information, advice and well-signposted support to help them to look beyond their relationship issues and toward the rights and needs of their child and the child’s right to have a relationship with both parents.”

Dr Stephanie Holt from Trinity College Dublin said, “In domestic violence the perpetrator targets the whole family. However, our family law system focuses on the perpetrator and immediate victim, failing to understand what it is like to be a child and live with domestic violence and abuse. In reforming family law we must challenge the myth that it is possible to be an abusive partner and a good father; this is simply is not true. Doing so however involves prioritising children’s voice and children’s rights and ensuring mechanisms are in place so the voice of the child is understood at every step of the process.”

Karen Kiernan CEO of One Family said, “We know from our work with families that they are often traumatised from going through the adversarial family courts and this can cause long-lasting damage to children. We strongly advocate for a Family Law Service Model to be developed alongside the new legislation to provide assessments, safety and family supports to families before and during court. When families separate or have issues that need to be agreed, the first responder shouldn’t be a solicitor – instead child-focussed, affordable supports should be available locally”.

Emer Darcy, Head of Family Law Reform, The Courts Service said, “The Courts Service is looking forward to continuing to collaborate with One Family as we progress with our Modernisation Programme to deliver better outcomes for all our users including children and families.”

About One Family:

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.

Services such as our Tusla-funded, Separating Well for Children project show the depth of demand that exists from people going through the private family law system. This project deescalates the conflict within the family using mediation, parenting support as well as creative therapies for children, allowing parents to put aside their own grievances and focus on the welfare of their children.

Available for Interview

Karen Kiernan, CEO | t: 01 662 9212 or 086 850 9191

Further Information/Scheduling

Noel Sweeney, Communications and Events Manager | t: 01 622 9212 or 085 7241294

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Saturday, 15 May
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To mark UN International Day of Families, One Family – Ireland’s national organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting and separating is calling for Article 41.3 of the Constitution on the definition of the family to be changed. The call comes following the publication of the recommendations of the Citizens Assembly on Gender Equality and the publishing of the Mother and Baby Home Commission Report.
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One Family/Cherish founder Maura O’Dea Richards said, “As a so-called ‘unmarried mother’ in 1970s Ireland, I felt the full weight of the Constitution on my shoulders as I struggled to raise my child alone against a system that sought to constrain us. I repeatedly saw women with no choice, who were forced to put their children up for adoption, go into Mother & Baby Homes or become homeless and outcast.
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This is why I founded Ireland’s first organisation for single parents, to change how Ireland treats it most vulnerable citizens. Now, while Article 41.3 of the Constitution has little practical impact on the lives of families – I believe it is a symbol. A symbol of discrimination and isolation. It tells families they are ‘other’ they are outside our community and society. This must end, all families are entitled to respect and protection. Discrimination against families who are not married must end. Never again will they be isolated and incarcerated. Never again will they be stigmatised and shamed. We need to tell the thousands of women and their children who were imprisoned in homes and adopted against their will that we see and acknowledge their pain and this will never happen again. We need to change Article 41.3 now.”
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One Family CEO Karen Kiernan said, “The recommendations of the Citizens Assembly on Gender Equality to “Amend article 41 so that it would protect private and family life, with the protection afforded to the family not limited to the marital family” provides a clear pathway for our political representatives and we are asking Government to set a date for a Constitutional Referendum on Article 41.3. We are today calling on parents, other NGOs and public representative to support our call on social media on Saturday 15 May using the hashtag #WeAreFamily & #FamilyDay to make Ireland a better place for all families.”
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For Editors:

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For further information click here:
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Karen Kiernan, CEO | t: 086 850 9191

Further Information/Scheduling:

Noel Sweeney, Communications and Events Manager | t: 085 7241294
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One year on from our first webinar focused on Family Law Reform in Ireland , Building a Family Law System for Families, One Family want to focus attention on the most vulnerable court users – children in our on-line conference Building a Family Law System for Children on Wednesday, 2 June 2021, from 3pm-5pm.
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The conference will be hosted by Sinéad Gibney, Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and will include a distinguished panel of national and international experts from the Department of Justice, Irish Court Service, Trinity College Dublin and the UK. Panellists will examine current Irish Family Law Reform plans and what the Irish system can learn from developments in other jurisdictions.
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One Family, today launched 5 new, low-cost, on-line e-learning parenting courses. The new e-courses, which are on the organisations new e-learning platform, can be completed in the comfort of your own home, at your own pace and are specially designed for people parenting alone, sharing parenting and parenting post separation (separating). To view courses click here.

One Family’s Director of Parenting Services, Geraldine Kelly said, ” It’s so exciting to have these courses available to parents to complete in the comfort of their own homes and at their own pace. We know how much pressure parents are under especially with the schools still off and we hope the courses will support parents to overcome some of the challenges of parenting during lockdown and parenting through separation. While the courses are self-directed, we are still here for parents if they need further support.”

The e-courses are self-directed and include built in tutorials from One Family parenting staff. Courses include:

Parenting Through Stressful Times
The Skill of Clear & Direct Communication
Positive Parenting – For Changing Families
Family Communications – Coping With Family Life and Teens
Family Communications – Parenting When Separate

To view courses click here.

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Budget fails to provide income security for most vulnerable families

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Budget 2021 was a missed opportunity to provide income security for Ireland’s poorest families. National statistics consistently highlight one-parent families as among the worst off in society and children in these families being particularly vulnerable to poverty and deprivation. Since 2016, there have been 12 major reports on lone parents and poverty all with similar recommendations. While Budget 2021 has some welcome measures; Government have not used the evidence available to them. Parents and children are struggling now and will continue to do so after this Budget. The Budget does little to help working lone parents keep their job if their children are sick and contains no targeted supports for one-parent families and nothing on childcare – the most pressing issue for working lone parents.
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Karen Kiernan CEO of One Family said, “We welcome that Government listened (even partially) to us and made necessary increases to the Qualified Child Increase (QCI) and Fuel Allowance. We are disappointed that the Working Family Payment (WFP) has not been adjusted to support people parenting alone although the increase is welcome. And we welcome the change to the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) though this will impact only a small number of parents. But we are concerned that Government is not using the evidence available and seems happy to adopt a scattergun approach rather than introduce targeted measures for the most vulnerable. Budget 2021 does nothing to lift families currently living in poverty out of it. It maintains the status quo; but the status quo kept thousands of children in poverty. We had hoped for a strategic and progressive vision of the future with targeted measures for the most vulnerable, what we got was a little for everyone.”
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“We understand the difficult decisions Government must make in the midst of a double threat of the pandemic and Brexit but Ireland’s most vulnerable families need targeted supports. We call on Government to use the evidence that is available.”

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Note to editors:

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About One Family:
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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.
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These services include the lo-call askonefamily national helpline on 1890 662212, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals.
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Read One Family’s Pre-Budget Submission.

Read our Budget 2021 Factsheet.
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Statistics on one-parent families:
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There were 218,817 family units with children (of any age) headed by a lone parent (Census 2016).
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1 in 4 families with children in Ireland is a one-parent family (Census 2016).
1 in 5 people in Ireland live in a one-parent family (Census 2016).
356,203 children lived in one-parent families, representing more than one in five or 21.2% of all children in family units (Census 2016).
In November 2018, 14,349 One-Parent Family Payment recipients (39 per cent of all recipients) are in employment, and of 14,418 Jobseeker’s Transition recipients, 4,037 recipients work. The Working Family Payment is an important support for working parents; almost half of recipients are households headed by a lone parent.
The Survey on Income and Living Conditions 2017 (SILC) revealed that one-parent family households experience the most deprivation in Ireland. Almost 45% of lone parent households experience more than one form of deprivation.
55% of homeless families living in emergency accommodation are one-parent families, at any time.

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For further information visit: www.onefamily.ie.
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Available for Interview

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Further Information/Scheduling

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Specialist Employability programme for Lone Parents sees 90% success rate

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The award-winning, European Social Fund -funded, New Futures Employability Programme, for lone parents on social welfare has seen over 90% of graduates progress to education or employment. The programme run by charity, One Family, recorded an 85% success rate in 2018 and new figures further show the phenomenal success of the community-based programme. The figures are revealed in the charity’s Annual Report for 2019 which has just been released. The programme uses a ‘one-to-one’ mentoring system to support lone parents who are looking to return to education or work as well as an accredited training programme and wrap around family support services.

Niamh Wynne, Coordinator of the New Futures Employability Programme said, “Many of the parents we work with are experiencing poverty,domestic abuse, homelessness and social isolation. Despite the incredibly difficult circumstances they are in, all are motivated to change and improve their situations. The New Futures Employability Programme provides the skills, challenges and support they need to build their confidence to take the next step for their family.”

New Futures graduate Tracy*said, “Before starting with One Family in 2019 I had left a relationship due to domestic violence. I had two very young kids and I was only starting to gain back some of the confidence I had lost. I saw a post on Facebook for the New Steps programme and decided to apply with a view to starting the New Futures programme afterwards and get my life back on track. These programmes were a God send! I learned how to deal with so many emotions I was struggling with; instead of letting them get on top of me, I learned new strategies to cope with them. I also learned to look at life from a different perspective. It was great to meet with other people in similar situations and know that I am not alone. The help and support in the 1:1 mentoring was second to none and I would advise anyone no matter what your background or struggles to try this programme as it’s one of the best decisions I made. I am now in a job and my life has improved incredibly since completing the course.”

One Family CEO, Karen Kiernan said, “The success of these proven education programmes shows how targeted supports, such as these specialist bridging programmes, can support parents on social welfare to take the next steps into education or employment. These programmes need to be available nationally so that parents from all over Ireland can also be successfully supported off social welfare and into long-term careers. In 2019, 93% of graduates who completed the New Futures Employability Programme went on to further education or employment. We must support parents so that they can support themselves out of poverty.”

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Notes to editor:

One Family was founded in 1972 as Cherish and is Ireland’s organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting or separating.

*Tracy is not her real name

One Family Employability Programmes:

New Futures Employability Programme is One Family’s flagship 24 week personal and professional development, specialist bridging programme, accredited at QQI level 4. New Futures won the Special Recognition Award for an ESF Initiative at the Aontas Star Awards in 2019 for making an outstanding contribution to adult learning.
New Steps is an eight week parenting support and self-development programme.
For more cases studies of New Futures graduates click here
To read One Family’s Annual Report click here
To learn more about One Family’s educational supports click here

Statistics on one-parent families:

There were 218,817 family units with children (of any age) headed by a lone parent (Census 2016).

1 in 4 families with children in Ireland is a one-parent family (Census 2016).
1 in 5 people in Ireland live in a one-parent family (Census 2016).
356,203 children lived in one-parent families, representing more than one in five or 21.2% of all children in family units (Census 2016).
In November 2018, 14,349 One-Parent Family Payment recipients (39 per cent of all recipients) are in employment, and of 14,418 Jobseeker’s Transition recipients, 4,037 recipients work. The Working Family Payment is an important support for working parents; almost half of recipients are households headed by a lone parent.
The Survey on Income and Living Conditions 2017 (SILC) revealed that one-parent family households experience the most deprivation in Ireland. Almost 45% of lone parent households experience more than one form of deprivation.
55% of homeless families living in emergency accommodation are one-parent families, at any time.

For further information visit: www.onefamily.ie.
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Available for Interview

Karen Kiernan, CEO | t: 01 662 9212 or 086 850 9191

Further Information/Scheduling

Noel Sweeney, Communications and Events Manager | t: 01 622 9212 or 085
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Thank you to everyone who was able to join our webinar on Building a Family Law System for Families. The panel was chaired by One Family CEO Karen Kiernan with panellists including Deputy Secretary General, Department Justice & Equality, Oonagh Buckley, former CEO of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in England and Wales (Cafcass), Anthony Douglas, His Honour Judge Colin Daly – President of the District Court and Peter Mullan – Head of Circuit & District Courts Directorate, Court Service of Ireland.

The panel looked at the experience of England and Wales in reforming their family law system and the proposed family law reforms set out in the Irish Government’s Programme for Government. A recording of the webinar is now available: https://youtu.be/ssGCZSsePng

Courts should be last resort for separating families

One Family CEO, Karen Kiernan, has said, Ireland is decades behind the rest of Europe in supporting families and protecting children who use the family law system. Ms Kiernan’s comments come ahead of a free seminar of leading Irish and international experts on Family Law this Thursday, 2 July from 3pm – 5pm live online. The seminar Building a Family Law System for Families examines how the proposed family law reform as set out in the Programme for Government will work and will offer a vision for how radical change could be implemented for the better in the future.

Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family explained: “Many of our family law systems are antiquated and overly focussed on conflict and court. What children and their separated parents need is support to share parenting well such as appropriate policies, legislation, mediation as well as necessary parenting and therapeutic services. They do not need to be unnecessarily funnelled into court hearings because there are no alternatives to resolve difficulties. Court should be the last resort.”

Speaking ahead of the seminar, Anthony Douglas CBE, former CEO of The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in England (Cafcass) explains how the organisation re-engineered the entire family law system in England and Wales over the last ten years to provide a system rooted in the need for children’s safety and well-being:

“In England and Wales there was willingness amongst policy makers, practitioners and Government for a radical change in the provision of family law. There was a feeling that court practices were out of touch with the way children and families lived their lives. Working together, we transformed the system to reduce delay, be more child-focussed and to understand both the advantages and limitations of family courts in resolving family problems. Our goal has been to provide a therapeutic justice system focused on conflict resolution rather than having your day in court where there are rarely winners and losers. Ireland can learn a lot from the English and Welsh experience.”

Ms Kiernan added, “We have opportunities in the coming years to begin building a reformed family law system that focuses on the needs of families rather than on the courts, the legal practitioners or the state. The implementation and adequate resourcing of the proposed legislation on the Family Law Courts by the new Government is absolutely critical to begin this process. We need more family support services such as the counselling and parenting programmes provided by One Family and others funded to help families navigate the difficulties of separation and divorce.”

Speakers at the seminar include:

Oonagh Buckley – Deputy Secretary General, Department Justice & Equality
Anthony Douglas CBE – Former CEO of Cafcass
His Honour Judge Colin Daly – President of the District Court
Peter Mullan – Head of Circuit & District Courts Directorate, Court Service of Ireland.

For more information on the seminar click: https://onefamily.ie/family-law-conference/

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.
For further information visit: www.onefamily.ie

Cafcass:

Cafcass stands for the Child and Family Court Advisory and Support Service. Cafcass is a national arms-length Government body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice, providing a court-based service to 140,000 children a year in public and private law cases throughout England. Their remit is to understand and advise courts about the needs wishes and feelings of individual children.

Anthony Douglas CBE:

Anthony Douglas was Chief Executive of Cafcass from 2004-19 and now has a small consultancy business working in the UK and internationally. He took Cafcass from an ‘inadequate’ to an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating and from working with 60,000 children a year in 2008 to 140,000 in 2019. Anthony was an economist and a journalist prior to becoming a social worker and has written 4 books on UK social care and is now writing a fifth on the importance of social care in a civilised society. He was Director of Social Services in Suffolk between 2002 and 2004. He is now a Visiting Professor at the University of East Anglia and was a member of the Family Justice Board and the Adoption Leadership Board in England and Wales for many years. He was awarded a CBE in 2008 for services to family justice and adoption and was given the ‘outstanding contribution to social work’ award at the Social Worker of the Year Awards in November 2018. He is currently a member of a small advisory group to the President of the Family Division for England and Wales about transparency in the family courts.

For Interview:

Karen Kiernan, CEO | t: 086 850 9191

Anthony Douglas, former CEO of Cafcass

Further Information/Scheduling
Noel Sweeney, Communications and Events Manager | t: 085 7241294