Research Reports

One Family undertakes research in a number of key areas. Please see here for the most recent research documents, in PDF format.

Research and guidelines on  ‘Contact between Parents and Infants/Young Children.’

A 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 there is no uniform approach. We see through our work with  families that 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.

To research this area and determine a best practice set of guidelines for parents and professionals, One Family commissioned a joint team from University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin  to research Guidance on Contact Time for Infants and Young Children in Separated Families. The research was conducted by Dr Simone Mc Caughren, Dr Stephanie Holt, Dr Aisling Parkes and Soma Gregory and was funded by the Late, Late Toy Show Appeal and Community Foundation of Ireland. The best practice guidelines were developed by One Family using the research findings

The Research:

The research consisted of an in-depth international literature review on the issue of contact for children aged 0-6 year olds in separated families; the distribution of an online survey for parents who have experience sharing parenting of infants and young children; two focus groups with professionals working in the area of family law, one with social care professionals and one with legal professionals; and six interviews with members of the Irish judiciary working in the area of family law. The Research Report can be read here.

Best Practice Guidelines

These guidelines are informed by the research carried out on One Family’s behalf by Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork and by One Family’s work with separated families. Read the Guidelines here.

One Family Research on Human Rights, Equality and One-Parent Families

In 2022 One Family launched two sets of guidelines aimed at improving the experiences of people in one-parent families when accessing public services. Based on research with parents, the Human Rights, Equality and One-Parent Families guides provide information and practical guidance for parents and for people delivering public services on protecting human rights, promoting equality and preventing discrimination against people in one-parent families.

Guide for Parents

Guide for Public Sector Bodies

One Family Research on Child Contact Centres in Ireland

One Family launched a major piece of qualitative research on the need for Child Contact Centres in Ireland.
[download]Download Contact Centre Summary – PDF[/download]

[download]Download Contact Centre Full Report – PDF[/download]

One Family Seminar: Rights, Responsibilities and Children

One Family held a seminar discussion of the Law Reform Commission report on legal aspects of family relationships in 2010. [download]Download Law  Reform Commission Report- PDF[/download]

Lone Parents and Employment: What Are The Real Issues?

One Family, supported by the Combat Poverty Agency, conducted a major quantitative study of Lone Parents on the One Parent Family Payment.
[download]Download Summary – PDF[/download]
[download]Download Full Report – PDF[/download]

Human rights based approach to achieving Social Inclusion and Equality

The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) Ireland and One Family, supported by the Combat Poverty Agency, produced this introduction to international human rights conventions and how they can be used to advance the rights of one-parent families.
[download]Download Human Rights – PDF[/download]