for parents
Single Parents
- Nearly a quarter of children live with just one parent.
- Lone parents come from all walks of life.
- Six out of ten lone parents have been married and are either separated, divorced or bereaved.
- The same proportion of families today is headed by a single parent as was the case in the 19th century.
Figures from the National Council for One Parent Families
Everyone's experience of being a single parent is different. However, the growing social acceptance of single parents has made life more bearable. Today, among the parents of your child's friends, there is a clear willingness to talk about separation more openly. And schools are certainly much more aware.
For many single parents their lifestyle might be improving. However, the constant problem is money, largely because a full-time job without the support of a partner is far harder to sustain. Housing and housework are both problematic for many single parents. With children under five, childcare costs often cancel out the rewards of working, even with Government incentives now available.
If you are a single parent, you will know that lone parents face many practical as well as emotional difficulties. The National Council for One Parent Families has a free helpline and their website www.ncopf.org.uk has information on the key issues affecting one parent families, including benefits and tax, childcare, housing and returning to work. NCOPF also gives telephone advice on 0800 018 5026 on child maintenance problems and can put callers in touch with sources of advice and support in their area. The helpline dealt with 14,000 queries last year alone.
Even if you are not in urgent need of help, can you be sure you're claiming all the benefits due to you, or perhaps there is a better way you could arrange maintenance payments or access? NCOPF's free guides and leaflets cover every aspect of lone parenting from pregnancy to holidays with the kids.
Many activities and clubs for single parents can be located through Gingerbread. On their website, www.gingerbread.org.uk, you'll find active chatrooms and webfriends to share issues. They also have an advice line 0800 018 4318.
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