Earlier this month One Family launched our Annual Review for 2020 looking back at a year none of us will forget as Covid and lockdowns dominated the agenda. The pandemic crystallised many of the social problems and divisions in Ireland with one-parent families again suffering disproportionately, being excluded from society, losing income and essential services. We know from our services many parents really struggled with how to manage access/contact visits safely in the lockdowns; that many parents lost their jobs, their family and friendship support systems; that for many families, child maintenance payments stopped overnight; and many parents experienced distressingly high levels of anxiety. We know that children were cut off from many of their support systems, their friends, and their family members, and that some children lived with parents who were incredibly stressed and sometimes in conflict with each other. 

Throughout the pandemic One Family worked hard to respond rapidly and safely to the high levels of distress and the new challenges for people parenting alone and sharing parenting. Our staff went above and beyond to be able to provide extra services in new ways from their own homes, while coping with their own personal pandemic challenges.  As we launched our Annual Review this month, we focused on the year that was but also look ahead with concern to the years that are to come especially in regard to supports for families who are separating. Demand for our specialised family support services dramatically increased in 2020 with a 20% rise in client services and a 17% increase in demand for our parenting during separation courses. At the launch we called for Government to provide funding in local communities for separating families, people sharing parenting and particularly for those in conflict.

To read our press release click here:
To read our Annual Review click on the button below:

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 piecemeal 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.”

One Family is undertaking a new research project, funded by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission,  looking at how public services engage with one-parent families. We are looking to hear from one-parent families about your experiences of interacting with any publicly funded body.  We are holding online focus groups to help us get a better understanding of how one-parent families’ human rights are affected when they access public services.

The goal of the research is:

• to create a guide for parents on their rights and what to do if they experience discrimination;
• to provide information for people providing public services on how to respect and fulfil the rights of one-parent families,
• to reduce stigma, rights infringements and discrimination experienced by one-parent families when accessing public services;
• to influence the development and provision of public services nationally.

Focus groups will take place on Zoom:

• 18^th of November at 10am.
• 23^rd of November at 6.30pm.

All feedback given during focus group sessions will be treated confidentially, meaning your name and contact details will not be recorded. Any feedback included in the research will be anonymous.

If you are interested in taking part please complete this form. For more information please contact Niamh Kelly, Policy Manager at nkelly@onefamily.ie.

• Call for regional supports for families amid a tsunami in breakups - Newstalk
• Charity 'overwhelmed' by demand for family support services - report RTE News
• Charity ‘overwhelmed’ by demand for family support services RTE Morning Ireland from 1.15 click here:
• Support group warns of 'tsunami of separations/divorce on the way with little or no support available' Meath Chronicle
• The Whistle Blowback Broadsheet.ie
• Fathers call for greater equality The Echo
• Ireland sees a spike in separations after pandemic Irish Post
• Ireland is facing a tsunami of separations and divorce following the pandemic Newstalk Breakfast
• 'Tsunami of separation and divorce' is happening in Ireland, and worst is yet to come HerFamily_ie
• Budget 2022: What measures were announced today to support parents of young children? The Journal
• Budget 2022: Welfare increases 'insufficient in a sea of rising living costs' Breaking News
• One Family’s Annual Review – LMFM from 34.58
• Stop the Nonsense”: Judge to Dads Who Won’t Pay Maintenance  Radio Kerry