The scheme removes the requirement to be looking and available for full-time employment, but has particular conditionalities that must be met. The Department will be sending letters out to those who were previously expected to move onto Jobseekers’ Allowance in the first week of July. Local offices will not have full details of the JAT until next week.

To read additional information from One Family, including Q&A, please click here.

Anyone who has any questions regarding the upcoming transition, please call the askonefamily lo-call helpline on 1890 662 212.

For lone parents work is now more of a possibility

(Dublin, 21 May 2013) Today, Minister Burton, listening and responding to One Family’s Ten Solutions campaign is presenting to Cabinet a progressive reform which will allow lone parents who are on social welfare to seek part-time work rather than full-time when they are moved to Jobseekers Allowance through a new arrangement called Jobseeker’s Transition.

One Family’s Director of Policy and Programmes, Stuart Duffin explains: ‘We have been advocating for this progressive reform since Budget 2012. All our evidence suggests that lone parents often need to access jobs with relatively short hours when returning to employment. Lone parents value working in part time-jobs as a way of balancing labour-market participation with caring responsibilities.’

He continues: ‘A part-time job acts as a ‘stepping-stone’ into working longer hours. There are good reasons for believing that any experience of work is likely to improve future chances of employment – particularly for lone parents who have spent long periods out of work. ‘For those parenting alone, whose primary responsibility and duty of care is to their child(ren), progressive activation which encourage employment efforts by acknowledging and responding to the needs and supports around childcare, personal and career development are very welcome.’

Karen Kiernan, One Family CEO explains: ‘One Family has been calling for a series of flexibilities in relation to the compulsory activation of lone parents in line with other jurisdictions due to the unique family and parenting responsibilities they face. Given the relatively poor provision of accessible and affordable out of school care in Ireland, these flexibilities are a must and we are pleased that Minister Burton has responded to the concerns of our members and clients on this critical issue.’

Duffin further highlights: ‘As part of this reform One Family looks forward to working with Government to provide meaningful engagement and tailored support for those moving back into the labour market and or education to secure a new future for families and children while helping to safeguard parenting responsibilities. Our New Futures programme has been specifically designed to delivery on this welfare to work policy.

Kiernan warns: ‘One Family will be closely monitoring how this policy is implemented in practice to ensure that parents are not compromised and that the number of part-time hours required under the new transition scheme will be achievable for parents.’

Find out more about One Family’s 10 Solutions campaign here: http://bit.ly/15KsorZ  #10Solutions

Press

Available for comment:

Stuart Duffin, Director Policy & Programmes, One Family | t: 087 062 2023

Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family | t: 086 850 9191

For further information or scheduling, please contact:

Shirley Chance for One Family | t: 087 414 8511 | e: schance@onefamily.ie

Let’s make Family Day meaningful for all families –

the Constitution is out of step with reality, it’s time for change

(Dublin, Tuesday 14 May) Tomorrow, Wednesday 15 May is UN International Day of the Family and One Family, Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families, calls for a national debate on what family means in Ireland today.

One Family CEO Karen Kiernan explained: “We are asking the Constitutional Convention to build on the good work that they have been doing and add an additional item to their agenda to look at Articles 41 and 42 which deal with the family. In particular a review of Article 41.3.1° would support some of the other issues already debated such as same sex marriage and women’s role.”

One Family has consistently called to have the Constitution expanded to recognise and protect all kinds of families and not just the marital family since its establishment in 1972 as Cherish. This issue was examined by the All Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution in their Tenth Progress Report on the Family which was published in 2006. Due to fears of divisiveness no recommendations for change were made in relation to a referendum on the definition of the family.

Kiernan further comments: “The Constitution is clearly out of step with today’s society, family life and demographics as 1/3 of all births are to parents not married to each other, 1 in 5 children live in a one-parent family and same-sex families are on the increase. To mark this and to celebrate the great family diversity that exists in Ireland today, One Family will host our third major event marking Family Day this Sunday in Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens.”

Notes:

• Article 41.3.1° states that “[t]he State pledges itself to guard with special care the institution of Marriage, on which the Family is founded”.
• Family Day, presented by One Family and EBS, is a national celebration calling on families all over Ireland to celebrate their family and celebrate family diversity on 19 May.
• As well as a free, fun Family Day picnic with entertainment, workshops, sports and more on Sunday 19 May in the Iveagh Gardens, Dublin 2 from 11am-5pm, children around the country can enter an art competition on the theme of “My Family is …”
• Full information on www.familyday.ie

About One Family

One Family was founded in 1972 and is Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families offering support, information and services to all members of all one-parent families, to those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and to those 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 1890 622 212, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. One Family also promotes Family Day, an annual celebration of the diversity of families in Ireland today, with events taking place this year on 19 May (www.familyday.ie). For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie.

Available for Interview

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

Stuart, along with a handful of other non-governmental delegates from Ireland, represents One Family as one of the ‘actors’ in social investment, potentially affording the organisation a level of influence into how the Social Investment Package will be implemented in Ireland.

The Package will be presented to a target audience of Member States officials, elected representatives, civil society, social partners, the private sector and others during the Conference, leading to proposals for future joint actions in support of its implementation. Three key thematic elements of the package – investment, innovation and involvement – will serve as focus;

• Investment: The Social Investment Package and its relevance to EU social policies in the future
• Innovation: Why we need to foster Social Innovation and how we can put it into practice in the social economy and involving NGOs
• Involvement: What vision of a social Europe do young Europeans want to see?

Speakers include José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission; Herman van Rompuy, President of the European Council; László Andor, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion; and Joan Burton, Irish Minister for Social Protection.

To read and/or download a briefing about the Social Investment Package written by Stuart Duffin, please click here: One Family_Social Investment Package Briefing_April 2013.

Further information about the Social Investment Package is available here.

One Family calls for tailoring of new afterschool childcare scheme

(Dublin, 24 April 2013)  One Family, Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families, has welcomed the announcement today by Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton T.D., and Frances Fitzgerald T.D., Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, that the first pilot phase of the new afterschool childcare scheme will begin on Monday 29 April, and reiterated the need for more resources and careful tailoring of the scheme for people who parent alone.

Stuart Duffin, One Family’s Director of Policy & Programmes, responded to the announcement as follows: “This is a welcome initiative to help ensure that those parents who are parenting alone can access, secure and sustain employment without it having an adverse impact on tight family budgets. However, it needs to be tailored so that families, and in particular those parenting alone, have barriers to securing and sustaining work reduced, and the care needs of their families met.”

The childcare service essential to achieve both of these necessary outcomes is out of school care (OSC) which incorporates after school care. The pilot must evaluate demand and in particular the need for out of school care rather than just after school care. This is particularly essential for those parenting alone because as they may not have other dependable adults available lone parents need that peace of mind that their children are being appropriately looked after.

This is a real opportunity for both Ministers to provide ‘in-work’ support to assist in ensuring a route-way out of poverty for working lone parents. OSC is the provision of a safe, caring environment offering a range of active, stimulating and restful activities for school age children before and after school and during holidays, which – combining after school care – enables parents to take up employment, education and training opportunities.

Mr Duffin explained: “Out of school care schemes take parental responsibility for the children in their care. All workers should go pass a Garda disclosure check.  OSC services may start between 7.30 and 8.00am to provide childcare before the start of the school day. During school holidays (Easter, Summer, Christmas etc) OSC clubs need to operate all day (usually from 8.00am to 6.00pm) and also during teacher training or in-service days, polling days and half-term holidays.”

It must be ensured that services provide for children in the following ways:

•           safety and security with care provided by experienced, trained and qualified staff,

•           a range of activities and play equipment all different from, but complementary to, the school curriculum,

•           the opportunity to socialise and play with other children.

Equally, it must be ensured that services provide for parents by:

•           supporting them to enable them to take up work, education or training opportunities,

•           providing peace of mind, knowing that their children will be well cared for, and therefore greater effectiveness at work,

•           affording the opportunity to become involved in the planning and running of the club through involvement in the management committee or parent’s advisory group.

OSC benefits employers by providing the means to recruit and retain a stable workforce. It also draws new people into the labour market and improves staff efficiency and staff morale. Within communities, OSC provision assists in the creation of employment and training for local people and provides opportunities for economic development and regeneration, through the creation of new business and new jobs. By providing a service which meets the needs of children, it also contributes to economic and community development, to the quality of life and families and has a major part to play in the promotion of “social inclusion”.

/Ends.

About One Family

One Family was founded in 1972 and is Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families. We offer support, information and services to all members of all one-parent families, to those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and to those 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 1890 622 212, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. One Family also promotes Family Day, an annual celebration of the diversity of families in Ireland today, with events taking place this year on 19 May (www.familyday.ie). For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie.

Available for Interview

Karen Kiernan, CEO | t: 01 662 9212 or 086 850 9191
Stuart Duffin, Director of Policy & Programmes | t: 01 662 9212 or 087 062 2023

Jessica N Grounds

The keynote speaker is Jessica N. Grounds. Jessica, who was Training Lead for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign for the Iowa Caucuses, has devoted her life to empowering women to become political leaders. She is Executive Director of Running Start which inspires girls and young women to run for elected office; the founder and principal strategist for Solid Grounds Strategy, working with women candidates who have never run for office before; and co-founder of Women’s Campaign Consortium, a collaboration of female campaign consultants dedicated to serving women candidates.

The moderator is Mary Wilson, (Presenter; RTÉ Drivetime). Additional speakers include Ciara Conway T.D.; Rita Fagan, Community Activist; Karen Kiernan, One Family; and Niamh Gallagher, Women for Election.

This free seminar should prove of particular interest to women concerned about Irish society and policies and interested in making a difference but unsure how. It will also interest those who would like to learn more about all the different ways to be more politically active. Presenting the personal journeys of these well-known women who make a difference politically every day of their lives, this lively and informative event will hopefully inspire attendees to plan their own next move.

Jessica Grounds is an Irish Institute exchange speaker. This seminar is co-sponsored by the Irish Institute, Boston College and the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

This is a free event and everyone is welcome to attend but as places are limited, booking is essential. Please complete the booking form to reserve your place by 4.00pm on Thursday 16 May 2013.

UPDATE: Friday, 3 May | This event is now fully booked. If you would like to be added to the waiting list, please complete the form below. If places become available we will contact you as soon as possible.

ONE FAMILY AND EBS ANNOUNCE

FAMILY DAY CELEBRATIONS

AND NATIONAL ART COMPETITION

Family Day | Sunday, 19 May 2013 | www.familyday.ie 

Celebrate families, celebrate your family.

(Dublin, 18 April 2013) One Family, Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families and EBS celebrate the diversity of families in Ireland with Family Day 2013. This free, family-friendly day out takes place in Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens on Sunday, 19 May from 11am to 5pm. Family Day celebrations also include a national art competition for young people.

Family Day was launched today by Anton Savage of Today FM. All family types are invited to enjoy Family Day including one-parent families, step families, the traditional two-parent married family, adoptive and foster families, blended and extended families, and those with opposite and same sex parents. UN International Day of Families is held on 15 May annually and inspires the Family Day celebration. This is the third year for events to take place in the Iveagh Gardens and it is growing every year, attracting over 5,000 visitors in 2012.

Family Day offers entertainment and fun for all ages. All activities are free. New events specially designed for Family Day in 2013 include a pop-up participatory installation by artist Michelle Browne in partnership with IMMA, which invites families to compete in a buggy assault course.  Michelle is currently in residence at IMMA’s studios and this Family Day event comes from an ongoing research project with mothers who have young children, exploring how they experience and negotiate Dublin city with their buggies.

MC Al Kazam, magician extraordinaire, will enthrall all ages while overseeing the smooth running of the music and dance performances on the stage, and arts workshops from organisations including Fighting Words, Imaginosity and The Ark will intrigue young children and teenagers. The FAI’s goal scoring challenge and a traditional sports arena will keep everyone on their toes and when it’s time to take a well-earned rest, Family Day-goers can enjoy their own picnic or visit the food village on site where tasty treats can be purchased.

This is the fourth year that EBS has partnered with One Family to acknowledge International Day of the Family.  Barry Delaney, Head of EBS Marketing, said: “EBS has worked closely with One Family over the past four years to build and develop a flagship event which celebrates families in Ireland. We are delighted that it continues to get bigger and better every year and that more and more families get to come and celebrate together on this day. The focus on families is in keeping with our positioning as an organisation that is helping all kinds of families get on in life. This is a great partnership for EBS and we are delighted to play a part in its continued success.”

Karen Kiernan, Director of One Family, commented: “One Family has been promoting International Day of the Family in Ireland for the past decade and building on Family Day for the past three years. Mothers’ Day is for mums and Fathers’ Day is for dads but not every child can celebrate those days. Family Day is for everyone to celebrate all types of families. We invite every family, workplace and school in Ireland to celebrate Family Day.”

Those who cannot attend events in the Iveagh Gardens are encouraged to host their own Family Day event which can be included on the Family Day site by emailing details to familyday@onefamily.ie.

The Family Day art competition is open for entries until 31 May 2013 to young people up to the age of 18 with a prize of €500.  Entries can be submitted at local EBS offices nationwide or emailed to familyday@onefamily.ie. Last year over 1,200 entered the art competition with their wonderful family portraits. This year’s theme is ‘My family is …’ Full details are on www.familyday.ie.

Family Day is presented by One Family and EBS, with the support of Today FM, OPW and Dublin City Council.

Further information about Family Day is available on www.familyday.ie.

/Ends.

About One Family

One Family was founded in 1972 and is Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families.  It offers support, information and services to all members of all one-parent families, to those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and to those 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 1890 622 212, counselling, and training courses for parents and for professionals. www.onefamily.ie.

Listings

Family Day | A celebration of the diversity of the family with entertainment and activities for all ages | Sunday, 19 May 2013 | Iveagh Gardens, Dublin 2 | 11am – 5 pm | Free | 01 662 9212 | www.familyday.ie

Press

Pics released today by Photocall Ireland.

For further information or images, please contact:

Shirley Chance for One Family | t: 01 662 9212 / 087 414 8511 | e: schance@onefamily.ie

Claire McGovern, Q4PR for EBS | t:  086 379 7291

Yesterday UNICEF published Report Card 11 naming Ireland as the 10th best developed country in the world for children to grow up, ahead of both the UK and the US. This report, launched by Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald, is the culmination of research spanning ten years (2001-2010) and also shows a decade of steady progress for the nation’s children.

“However, this report card does not show the on-the-ground reality of austerity policies and practices which stem from Budget 2012 which are hitting the poorest families hardest,” said Stuart Duffin, Director of Policy and Programmes at One Family.

“Those at the top had the boom but it’s those at the bottom being made to suffer the bust and this particularly is the case for those parenting alone. We need to build and invest in the jobs, housing and childcare that will stimulate the economy and meet the needs of all families.

“If we don’t it will be shocking and dangerous in public policy terms, and also a catastrophe for the childhoods and life chances of so many of our children.”

At the conference, One Family has presented Investing in Children – Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage. Our 10 Solutions for Smarter Futures campaign sets out pointers for government to alleviate the impact of persistent and consistent poverty for those parenting alone. Learn more about 10 Solutions here.

Ita Mangan, Chairwoman of the group that recommended a two-tier child benefit system, warned that this is “worrying” and also told the committee that one in five children in the Republic of Ireland lived in a home where income was less than €20,000 a year. Labour TD Brendan Ryan noted that the lack of affordable childcare was a “major barrier” to single parents working.

One Family’s ongoing campaign Ten Solutions Smarter Futures clearly outlines why the current welfare system needs to be reformed. It is time for a system which lifts people out of poverty and treats everyone with dignity and respect. Responding to Ms Mangan’s evidence to the committee Stuart Duffin, Director of Policy & Programmes for One Family, highlights the benefits of  Ten Solutions Smarter Futures  and encourages TDs and Senators to agree its execution.

“Against a background of inaccurate and discriminatory media stories which too often demonise lone parents, the system increasingly focuses on blaming individuals for being out of work,” Mr Duffin said.

“Overall, welfare reform has resulted in gaps in provision, especially for those in precarious situations such as those parenting alone. Reforms are based on the assumption that those on welfare should move into employment, regardless of the existence, quality or sustainability of jobs. They assume that benefit recipients lack the motivation to work. Significant moral and ethical questions exist over the ability of large multi-national private employment agencies to profit financially when disadvantaged people find themselves jobs.

“Meanwhile the real barriers to employment such as lack of childcare, employer discrimination, below poverty level wages and the lack of jobs are not tackled effectively. Many lone parents are required to engage in work seeking activities, education and training despite inadequate childcare provision in some areas.”

Mr Duffin concludes: “The real challenge is to make childcare affordable for those at the bottom end, so that there are strong incentives for those parenting alone parents to continue or engage in employment and/or education. That would do much more to help reduce child poverty, and it would help our economic our recovery too.”

The current system is expensive to administer. It is time to stop tinkering with the system and make some fundamental changes which can be achieved through an area-based whole of government outcomes-focused tactic to reduce child poverty. Current policies and practice do little to address the inequalities that place lone parents in precarious labour market situations. There is an acute and urgent need for policies that:

1.         Guarantee flexibilities within JA,

2.         Prevent in-work poverty and create adequate incomes to ensure that no child experiences poverty,

3.         Support job retention,

4.         Guarantee affordable, flexible and high-quality childcare.

The families facing the hardest struggle, particularly those parenting alone, do not have the spending power businesses need to get back to growth and create new jobs. It would be far better for family welfare and business growth if families were at the frontline of economic stimulus. Countries that took this approach when the economic crisis started have recovered much more strongly.

Read more about One Family’s Ten Solutions Smarter Futures campaign here.

“UK government is recognising the high costs of childcare in the UK which acts as a significant deterrent for all families who want to get back to work or work longer hours. But this scheme would do very little to help the families that need it most, or to reduce child poverty.

“The plans announced are extraordinarily complicated, inadequately tailored and too far in the distance to provide comfort for families struggling right now. The new scheme is weighted heavily in favour of those on high incomes. With the UK economy still stagnant and child poverty rising, low income families need stronger work incentives now, not in three years’ time after the next general election in the UK.

“Accessing affordable childcare is a gateway to starting work for many parents and in particular those parenting alone. Restricting higher levels of childcare support under the Universal Credit to parents only when they are already in work reinforces the barriers in the crucial period of transition into work that universal credit sought to break down, so the danger is that only a smaller number of low-income families will actually benefit from this proposal.”

If Ministers Burton and Fitzgerald are following this One Family would recommend direct social investment in the provision of childcare, free at the point of demand. If the Irish government is not taking that option, we promote that other approaches should at least be tailored to low income families, and in particular to those parenting alone, rather than using the bulk of resources for wealthier families as is happening in the UK.