One Family Calls for Parenting and Childcare Supports for One-Parent Families

/in /by

  • With the launch of its Annual Review 2007 One Family calls for the provision of quality parenting and childcare supports for lone parents to move out of poverty and into employment
  • One Family research on Lone Parents & Employment indicates that the majority (80%) of lone parents are currently in education, training or employment and that of those not currently employed 60% want to and are looking for work
1 SEPTEMBER 2008: A leading organisation providing support services to one-parent families in Ireland, One Family, is calling on the Government to ensure adequate childcare and parenting supports are available to lone parents moving from welfare to work. The call is being made to coincide with the launch of the organisation’s Annual Review 2007. One Family research on Lone Parents & Employment, begun in 2007 and due to be launched in November 2008, shows that the majority of lone parents want to work but also believe in the importance of their parenting role and may need support in parenting and childcare to ensure their family needs are met.
Preliminary findings from One Family’s research, supported by the Department of Social and Family Affairs and funded by the Combat Poverty Agency, show that 80% of the lone parents participating in the research are currently working, looking for work or engaged in education or training; 60% of those not currently in employment were looking for work and wanted to be in employment. However, many lone parents felt that participation in employment should not be at the expense of parenting but that it should accommodate and compliment an important parenting role.
Candy Murphy, Policy & Research Manager, One Family said: “These findings indicate that lone parents require a high level of flexibility in relation to employment. People parenting alone have to organise their work around parenting responsibilities and childcare options which means that most end up working part-time hours and experience limited financial reward in relation to employment. This creates a situation where work simply does not pay for lone parents; any government plans to move lone parents from welfare to work must address these barriers and provide substantial parenting and childcare supports to lone parents in order to make work viable for this vulnerable group.”

Definition of family in Irish Constitution no longer valid in today’s Ireland

/in /by

  • One Family calls for equal respect and value for all one-parent families under the Irish Constitution as the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, the Free Legal Advice Centre and the Irish Penal Reform Trust launch a Shadow Report for the UN Human Rights Committee’s examination of Ireland’s compliance with the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights.
  • Half a Million people in Ireland live in a one-parent family.
  • 1 in 6 families in Ireland are a one-parent family.

Monday 14 July 2008: A leading national support organisation for one-parent families, One Family, is calling for equal respect and value for all one-parent families under the Irish Constitution.  One Family welcomes today’s (14 July 2008) launch of a shadow report detailing Ireland’s compliance to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). One Family along with many other NGOs have contributed to the production of this report which will be used to further the promotion of human rights in Ireland .The report, being launched by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, the Free Legal Advice Centre and the Irish Penal Reform Trust incorporates recommendations on Article 23 of the ICCPR to the effect that the Irish Constitution be changed to give full equality to all families under Irish law and also to ensure an ending to  the practice where the welfare of the child is not given paramount consideration in all family law proceedings.
One Family has long maintained that the definition of a family as laid down in the Irish Constitution “is no longer valid in today’s society” and is completely “out of touch with reality” as it is defined traditionally through judicial interpretation to mean the family based on marriage.”
Candy Murphy, Policy Manager of One Family said “It is extremely important to recognise one-parent families for the strong family units they are and we are calling on the Government to change the Irish Constitution to reflect this.  In our view all families should be recognised within the Constitution and families in difficulties supported, particularly those that are especially vulnerable. It’s about equality for all families and particularly all children.”
One Family has being in existence for 36 years and provides a range of services for one-parent families in Ireland. Services include parenting and skills training, counselling and parent mentoring and a wide range of information supports.
ENDS
For further information please contact
Catherine Joyce, Communications Manager 01 664 0125/ 086 343 2542
Candy Murphy, Policy Manager 01 662 9212/087 293 3180
Editor’s Note: The UN Human Rights Committee’s examination of Ireland’s human rights record takes place in Geneva on Monday 14 July and Tuesday 15 July.
The examination is the first by the UN Human Rights Committee since 2000 and will provide a definitive assessment of Ireland’s human rights record.

One Family Expresses Condolences to the Family, Friends and Colleagues of Seamus Brennan T.D.

/in /by

One Family sends its sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Seamus Brennan T.D. who the organisation worked closely with during his time as Minister for Social and Family Affairs. While in that role, Seamus Brennan T.D. was involved in progressing positive initiatives aimed at improving the lives of the most vulnerable people in our society through changes in the social welfare system.
Candy Murphy, Policy Manager of One Family said: “Seamus Brennan T.D. was actively engaged in a process of policy reform aimed at reducing poverty and social exclusion affecting one-parent families in Ireland and had a very positive relationship with One Family.”
Karen Kiernan, Director, One Family said “Everyone in One Family wishes to express our deepest sympathies to Mr. Brennan’s family, friends and colleagues.”

Constitutional Change Needed to Respect all Families

/in /by

Maeve Malone, 11, and May McCann, 7, celebrate International Day of the Family on 15 May 2008. Marking the day, One Family called for change to the definition of the family under the Irish Constitution to provide equal respect and value for all families in Ireland.

  • On International Day of the Family One Family calls for equal respect and value for One-parent Families under the Irish Constitution
  • Half a Million people in Ireland live in a one-parent family
  • 1 in 6 families in Ireland is a one-parent family
A leading national support organisation for one-parent families, One Family, is calling for equal respect and value for one-parent families under the Irish Constitution.  The call is being made to coincide with One Family’s celebration of International Day of the Family which takes place today (Thursday 15th May 2008).  The International Day of the Family is a UN initiative reflecting the need to respect the rights and values of all families throughout the world.  According to One Family the definition of a family as laid down in the Irish Constitution “is no longer valid in today’s society” and is completely “out of touch with reality” as it is defined traditionally through judicial interpretation to mean the family based on marriage.  This One Family says “excludes nearly half a million people in Ireland who are part of one-parent families.”
 
Facts about One-Parent Families
  • In Ireland 1 in 8 people live in a one-parent family. (Census 2006)
  • 1 in 6 families are a one-parent family. (Census 2006)
  • 1 in 5 children live in a one-parent family. (Census 2006)
  • 18% of all families or 190,000 families in Ireland today are one-parent families. (Census 2006)
  • 14% of one-parent families are headed up by fathers. (Census 2006)
  • One-parent families are at greater risk of poverty than most other families. You are 4 times more likely to live in poverty if you live in a one-parent family (EU-SILC 2006)
Karen Kiernan, Director, One Family said “It is extremely important to recognise one-parent families for the strong family units they are and we are calling on the Government to change the Irish Constitution to reflect this.  In Ireland, married families are given the highest respect and value in the Constitution often at the expense of lone-parents and families who can be vulnerable in areas such as poverty, skills and family supports.
It is imperative that the Irish Constitution gives equal respect and value to families where people are parenting alone or sharing parenting. It’s about equality for all families and particularly all children.  International Day of the Family gives us an opportunity to reflect on this and to celebrate and appreciate diversity in family life.”
One Family has being in existence for 36 years and provides a range of services for one-parent families in Ireland. Services include parenting and skills training, counselling and parent mentoring and a wide range of information supports.
ENDS
 
For further information please contact
Catherine Joyce, Communications Manager 01 664 0125/ 086 343 2542
Karen Kiernan, Director, 01 662 9212/ 086 8509191
 
Editor’s Note: The International Day of the Family was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assemby in its resolution 47/237 of 20 September 1993.  The annual observance of the International Day of the Family reflects the importance that the international community attaches to families as basic units of society as well as its concerns regarding the plight of millions of families around the world.

NEED TO TACKLE PERSONAL BARRIERS FACED BY LONE PARENTS

/in /by

Lone Parents & Work:
One Family report highlights need to tackle personal barriers faced by lone Parents

Martin Cullen T.D., Minister for Social and Family Affairs, launched One Family’s Strategy 2007-2009 and New Future Project Report on 8 April 2008. One Family’s New Futures Project is an integrated model of support for lone parents, dealing particularly with the personal barriers that exist for lone parents in progressing from welfare dependency to employment.
Karen Kiernan, Director, One Family: “Lone parents often face a number of hidden barriers when moving from social welfare to education or employment. In addition to external barriers such as lack of childcare and reductions in essential benefits such as rent supplement, many lone parents experience a lack of confidence and belief in their abilities which makes going into the labour market a daunting task.”
Funded by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform as part of the Equality for Women Measure, One Family’s New Futures project succeeded in helping the lone parents involved to build their confidence and self-esteem. It also gave them hope; many parents indicated that after the programme they had greater clarity on how to really achieve their aims and ambitions and a greater belief in their ability to build a positive future for themselves and their family. Ms. Kiernan notes: “What really emerged from the pilot programmes was the extreme importance of dealing with the breadth of barriers that lone parents face in moving from welfare to work. The parents felt that they were better able to engage with skills training once they had overcome personal challenges. We believe that if Government’s activation plans are to really succeed, all of the challenges facing lone parents will need to be addressed, including ensuring that staff in the relevant state services are fully aware of the complexity and diversity of needs of lone parent clients.”
One Family will continue to develop the New Futures programme under its Strategy 2007- 2009. The Strategy also governs the expansion of One Family’s comprehensive services for one-parent families. Karen Kiernan stated: “Under our Strategy 2007-2009, we will continue to develop our wrap-around service model, providing a one-stop shop for lone parents, supporting them in both their personal and professional development as well as harnessing this learning to achieve real and effective changes in government policies that affect the lives of one-parent families.”
ENDS
For further information please contact
Catherine Joyce, Communications Manager 01 664 0125/ 086 343 2542
Karen Kiernan, Director, 01 662 9212/ 086 8509191