1 / 36

One Family Presentation to Family Resource Centre National Forum

One Family Presentation to Family Resource Centre National Forum Edel Quinn – Training & Consultancy Manager Candy Murphy – Policy & Campaigns Manager. June 21 st 2006. What we’re going to talk about……………. Background to our organisation

kiril
Download Presentation

One Family Presentation to Family Resource Centre National Forum

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. One Family Presentation to Family Resource Centre National Forum Edel Quinn – Training & Consultancy Manager Candy Murphy – Policy & Campaigns Manager June 21st 2006

  2. What we’re going to talk about……………. • Background to our organisation • Work of One Family – Family services & Professional support • Policy Positions • Open Discussion

  3. The One Family Mission Progressing the work of Cherish, established in 1972, One Family provides voice, support and action for one-parent families through membership, professional services and campaigning. Our aim is to affect positive change and achieve equality and social inclusion for all one-parent families in Ireland. We work to achieve our aims through Voice we are the national membership organisation of one-parent families, supporting organisations and others concerned with the issues facing one-parent families. Support we offer a comprehensive range of professional services to one-parent families, to those experiencing a crisis pregnancy and to those working with one-parent families. Actionwe campaign with and on behalf of our members to affect positive change for one-parent families. One Family works with all types and all members of one-parent families, respecting the realities of family life in Ireland.

  4. Cherish – the early years • Established in 1972 as Cherish • Focussed on single-parent (unmarried) families • Practical supports, campaigning – for single parents and for women with crisis pregnancies • Founder - Maura Richards (née O’Dea) • Historical interest in legal issues • Abolition of Illegitimacy Campaign 1977-1988 • 1992 Abortion Referenda – Frontline

  5. One Family – present day • Cherish rebranded in 2004 as One Family Voice • CAN* membership • One Family Matters; www.onefamily.ie Support • Range of professional services in Dublin Action • Campaigning, policy and lobbying work • Conferences and Family Diversity Initiative

  6. Quick StatisticsWho are One Parent Families? • Census 2002 – 1 in 8 people • 40% widowed; 32% single/never married • 85% Female; 15% Male • 60% have one child • DSFA 2004 - Approx. 2% are teens. • 3 times more likely to live in poverty as a member of a one-parent family (EU-SILC 2005)

  7. Our Family Support Services INFORMATION & SUPPORT ONE FAMILY

  8. Information & Support Service • Accurate, factual information • Non judgemental support service / listening ear • Offers individual appointments • Ask onefamily* helpline – LoCall 1890- 662212 • Range of support leaflets

  9. Our Family Support Services INFORMATION & SUPPORT ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMMES ONE FAMILY

  10. Programmes Service • Adult education programmes run in Cherish House • Diverse range of clients – Recruitment/Referral/Word of Mouth • Yearly Calendar of Programmes on semester basis – 2 hour sessions with childcare provided • Types of Programmes • Personal – Support Groups/Social groups • Professional- Moving On; Computing FETAC Level 1 & 2 • Parenting- Positive Parenting • Family – Family Communications

  11. Programmes- Celebrations!

  12. Our Family Support Services INFORMATION & SUPPORT ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMMES ONE FAMILY COUNSELLING

  13. Counselling Service • Professional counselling service: non-directive crisis pregnancy counselling; general counselling for adults and adolescents; post-termination; telephone support service • Offers training to other professionals in the area of crisis pregnancy & post abortion counselling

  14. Our Family Support Services INFORMATION & SUPPORT ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMMES ONE FAMILY COUNSELLING CHILDCARE

  15. Childcare Service • Sessional childcare to support services • Active learning environment for children • Parenting support and play group • Parenting coaching • Specialist workshops • Materials for childcare providers

  16. Our Family Support Services INFORMATION & SUPPORT ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMMES ONE FAMILY TRAINING FOR PROFESSIONALS COUNSELLING CHILDCARE

  17. Training Services • Training services to professionals who work with members of one parent families • Objective is to • Build capacity in organisations to replicate the adult Education programmes we run with clients. • Promote awareness of the issues which members of one parent face in their everyday lives • Provide support to organisations in developing their service through providing training and consultancy. • Methods: Groupwork and experiential learning which has been extensively piloted and evaluated. • Comprehensive calendar of professional training available in Dublin and nationwide

  18. Our Family Support Services INFORMATION & SUPPORT ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMMES FUNDRAISING & COMMUNICATIONS ONE FAMILY COUNSELLING TRAINING FOR PROFESSIONALS CHILDCARE

  19. Fundraising & Communications • Annual newsletters to inform members of services ,activities & policy positions. • Fundraising network to raise profile of the organisation • Grants/Schemes

  20. Our Family Support Services INFORMATION & SUPPORT POLICY & CAMPAIGNING ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMMES FUNDRAISING & COMMUNICATIONS ONE FAMILY COUNSELLING TRAINING FOR PROFESSIONALS CHILDCARE

  21. Family Resource centres • Use One Family Information & Support Service • Dublin area- refer clients to programmes or counselling • Participate in Training or consultancy services • Policy & Campaigning *can – get involved with policy & campaigning network • Communications –Register for our newsletters & keep informed.

  22. One Family-Policy Issues

  23. Our Policy Principles • Children at the centre • All members of all types of one-parent families • Non-judgemental • Rights-based • Practice to policy / policy to practice • Empowerment and respect

  24. Policy & Campaigns Service • CAN* - campaigning and advocacy network. Membership and consultation vehicle • Consultation on Lone Parent Review • Human Rights Booklet • Submissions, lobbying, campaigns, work to influence policy • Lone Parent Review • Social Partnership • Domestic Partnership • NAPS • Research • Profiling One-parent families • Family law

  25. Current Key Policy Areas • Working for a constitution which affords equal rights to all families • Recognising the realities of the diversity of family life in Ireland • Ensuring equality of access and opportunity in education for one-parent families • Working for a positive work life balance for one-parent families • Striving for equality for one-parent families in all housing tenures • Championing quality childcare for children in one-parent families • Campaigning for access to an adequate income for all one-parent families • Working for equitable services in all pregnancies

  26. Key Areas of work • Anti-Poverty work-Policy development • Family Diversity Work-Constitutional, Legal and Policy change

  27. Family Diversity Issues • Increasing Family diversity • Constitutional definition of the family • Marital and relationship breakdown • Rights of children • Families with Additional needs • Equitable Access to pregnancy services • Access to services for members of new communities • Access and affordability of legal remedies • Alternatives to legal remedies • In-camera ruling, lack of information on statistics and trends

  28. Key Anti-Poverty Issues • Reduced child and family poverty; • Reduced dependence on social welfare; • Increased access to early childhood development and education; • Improved access to services: education and training, childcare, including after school care, health services and accommodation; • Innovative and positive engagement with one-parent families in relation to increasing their role in the labour market • Recognition for the important role that parenting plays in Irish society and development of realistic work life balance options for those parenting alone; and • Co-ordination of services and supports, including information.

  29. Government Proposals on Supporting Lone Parents April 206 • To replace the One Parent Family Payment (OPFP) with a Parental Allowance (PA) at the same rate and conditions, payable until the youngest child reaches the age of eight. • Removal of the cohabitation rule and payment of the PA to one parent in low-income families that qualify under the means test. • Engagement by the state with recipients of the PA when their youngest child is aged five, to discuss and support participation in a range of education, training and employment possibilities. • After the youngest child reaches the age of eight, removal of the PA and transfer to Unemployment Assistance (UA) if the recipient is not working or engaged in education or training.

  30. Our Views on The Proposals • Support for engagement and access to training, education and employment • Impact on Poverty -Need to complement the proposal with targeted initiatives that reduce child poverty and raise income levels among those dependent on social welfare. • Service provision -Need for commitments and related budgets from the relevant government departments and agencies to provide innovative and flexible education and training, childcare, particularly after-school care, as well as the housing supports required. • Teen parents –Need to provide nationwide services to support this small but particularly vulnerable group to stay in the education system. • Lack of recognition of the vital parenting role played by those parenting alone which continues after seven and can be particularly significant in the teenage years • Research -Need to understand the actual circumstances faced by those parenting alone.

  31. Outcome of Our Consultation process • Lone parents want to engage but also want choice on work/life balance options • Lone parents want to work and are doing so when it is financially viable • Proposals as framed are creating fear, particularly for the most vulnerable • Doubts that services will be provided • Particular concern about rent supplement and other poverty traps

  32. NESC Framework

  33. Our Proposals • A voluntary System-working with those most able to respond • Implementation Committee-development and implementation of supporting strategies • Lone Parent Guarantee • Participation Fund • Innovative models of engagement • Review and Reconsideration • Research

  34. Issues for Discussion • Engagement process-how best to develop it • Issues that arise in your work • Parenting/Work Balance

  35. Stay in touch… • One Family Cherish House 2 Lower Pembroke Street Dublin 2 • Tel: 01 662 9212 • Ask One Family* Lo-Call 1890 66 22 12 • info@onefamily.iewww.onefamily.ie • CAN* membership

  36. . . .

More Related