or “To be a single parent is just like standing
alone on the top of a hill where wind is blowing
at you from all directions.”
The International Round Table | October 20th, 2014
The European House, Jungmannova 24, Prague, Czech Republic
www.aperio.cz | www.saminadeti.cz
AUSPICES
The International Round Table is organised under the auspices of the Minister of Labour and
Social Affairs of the Czech Republic, Ms. Michaela Marksová-Tominová.
ORGANISING BODY
APERIO – Healthy Parenting Association
Plzeňská 66
151 24 Prague 5
Czech republic
www.aperio.cz
PARTNER ORGANISATIONS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We are grateful to the European House in Prague for being able to use premises for the
International Round Table.
EVROPSKÝ DŮM
Vaše dveře do Evropy v srdci Prahy
The International Round Table is organised within the “Single Parents and Labour Market”
project supported by the ESF, Human Resources and Employment Operational Programme
and a state budget of the Czech Republic. Project No. CZ.1.04/5.1.01/77.00353
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single parents
CONTENT
1/ Tear down myths about single parents
5
2/ Introduction
6
3/ About the Project
7
4/ Programme of the International Round Table
8
5/ About organisations involved in the project
APERIO Miesto pod slnkom One Family One Parent Families Scotland Single Parents Action Network 9
10
11
12
13
15
6/ Presentations and panelists
Situation of Single Parents in the Czech Republic
Working with Families Endangered by Poverty
Support of Functional Relations Return to Labour Market Legislation 19
19
20
22
24
26
7/ Acknowledgement 28
content
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1/
TEAR DOWN MYTHS ABOUT SINGLE PARENTS!
Picture of single parents perceived by general public – including number of officers or experts
– is quite biased, however widespread. Whole number of myths circulates about them – the
most common myth is probably a statement that single parents drain substantial financial
resources from the state budget at the expense of two-parent families, because they are entitled to benefits inaccessible to others. People frequently think that if they were working, they
would be able to earn their and their children's living. Bringing up a child without a partner
means, according to opinions of many, definitely an upbringing of worse quality. However,
what do our prejudices tell us about ourselves?
We often tend to think that we keep our future firmly in our hands. But single parents demonstrate that not all families are living together happily ever after. Life is usually more complex and sometimes tougher than we can imagine. Loss of a partner, loneliness, poverty,
sense of failure – we all try to avoid it in our lives. And we often think – this cannot happen
to me – and therefore we blame them for their situation.
Acceptance of single parents is also reluctant due to fear that single parenthood might become a social norm or even an attractive alternative. Putting aside the consideration of
poverty that is quite often associated with single parenthood, bringing up a child without
a partner is so demanding that the attractiveness of this choice is doubtful. We can efficiently act only if our sight is clear. Therefore we decided to break the uniform picture
of stereotypes and to show that reality of single parenthood is much more colourful and
complex than meets the eye.
In less than two years since beginning of the project we have revealed individual layers
of the single parenthood and different views on how to work with them. We have found
our inspiration in both local and foreign organisations, however single parents themselves
were the greatest inspiration and driving force for the entire project team. Many of them
set a good example that diamonds are born under pressure. On the other hand, others were
weakened by chronic pressure and without help from the outside world they would hardly
be able to fight their own battle. It is of a vital importance for them and for their children to
offer efficient help. We are proudly presenting examples of such efficient assistance in this
brochure. We believe that hereby presented information and resources will help you to tear
down myths about single parents.
Eliška Kodyšová and Lucie Staňová, APERIO
October 2014
tear down myths about single parents!
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INTRODUCTION
I greatly respect all lone parents. Without their immense effort, many of our children would
not be able to live in family environment at all. Myself, I have two children and I cannot even
imagine to be alone for their upbringing and securing their sustenance.
I have frequently experienced attitudes, especially of some wealthier men, that our government unreasonably supports lone single mothers and there is no need to help them since
they are responsible for their own situation themselves. I consider such opinions absolutely
outrageous. On the contrary, I am aware of the fact that our government does mere minimum in order to support families with children and that single mothers and single fathers
are really disadvantaged because they bring up our young generation. As a minister, I promise that I will try to rectify this situation. The Bill on Advance Alimentation represents the
first step of this effort.
I would like to express my deep thanks to all parents who bring up their children alone.
Michaela Marksová-Tominová
Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic
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ABOUT THE PROJECT
SINGLE PARENTS AND LABOUR MARKET
The international collaboration project focuses not only on situation of single fathers / single mothers on the labour market, but also on related areas of their lives. We collaborate
with key players who work with single parents: institutions, employers, non-profit organisations and those who may improve their situation by promoting and implementing measures
leading to improvement of their situation in the Czech Republic (policy makers, local governments). We also directly support single parents.
Our project is focused on mapping, sharing and implementing successful strategies and
know-how of our foreign partners (Miesto pod slnkom – Slovakia, One Family – IE, One Parent
Families Scotland and Single Parents Action Network – UK), as well as sharing and promoting
these strategies in the Czech Republic. This shall be supported by inevitable amendments
of the Czech legislation and introduction of further measures resulting in improvement of
situation of single parents. Our project was also aimed at single parents themselves and on
increasing their knowledge and awareness about available services for them.
We have prepared:
• Analysis of the single parents’ situation in the Czech Republic and abroad “Alone for children, alone for everything?”
• Website www.saminadeti.cz designed for single parents and for those who work with them
• Seven seminars for single parents and the same number of seminars for experts in the
NUTS2 regions
• Two meetings of members of the network of the project aimed at preparation of specific
proposal of legislative changes
• Final International Round Table
Our objective for entire period of the project is to disseminate awareness of the single parents situation on the labour market among experts and general public, as well as information about possibilities how to improve this situation.
For more information please visit www.saminadeti.cz
The project is funded by the European Social Funds in the Czech Republic – Human Resources and Employment Operational Programme and the state budget of the Czech Republic.
Project CZ.1.04/5.1.01/77.00353
about the project
7
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PROGRAMME OF THE INTERNATIONAL ROUND TABLE
Situation of Single Parents in the Czech Republic
• Věra Kuchařová and Anna Šťastná (Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs, RILSA):
Single Parents in Numbers
• Radka Dudová (Institute of Sociology of the Academy of Sciences CR): How Single Parents
Feed the Family – Money, Work and Social System in the Czech Republic
• Eliška Kodyšová (APERIO): Single Parents Being Parents
Working with Families Endangered by Poverty
• Eva Litavská (Miesto pod slnkom, Slovakia): Activation of Personal Resources on the Way
from Poverty
• Jitka Mozorová (Na počátku): Types of Assistance and Support of Pregnant Women and
Mothers with Children
• Kamila Tittelbachová (WOMEN FOR WOMEN): Working with Single Mothers in Prague
Support of Functional Relations
• Satwat Rehman (One Parent Families Scotland): Teen Parent and Peer Mentoring Services
• Blanka Krotká, Iva Chlebková (Centre for Family and Social Care): Experience from Open
Group for Single Parents
• Ivana Janišová (Cestou necestou): Family Rehabilitation and Assisted Contact
Return to Labour Market
• Stuart Duffin (One Family, Ireland): New Futures; New Opportunities; New Confidence
• Tove Samzelius (Single Parent Action Network, UK): Supporting Return to Labour Market:
Holistic Approach
Legislation
• Jana Seemanová (APERIO): Legislation Abroad as Inspiration for the Czech Republic?
• Michaela Franzová (Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs): Changes prepared by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs for One-parent Families
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ABOUT ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT
APERIO – HEALTHY PARENTING ASSOCIATION
(Czech Republic)
Vision
We strive for society where:
... all parents indiscriminately play irreplaceable role.
... needs and roles of parents and family
are respected.
... where everybody is aware of importance
of parenthood for our future.
... parents enjoy good conditions on the
labour market.
... government, communities and employers
actively support parents.
... parents have enough time, competencies,
funds and information to be parents.
... women and men have equal position
both in family and on the labour market.
Mission
Our activities help:
... society and government to understand
parents and their needs.
... creating conditions for healthy parenthood.
... parents growing together with their children.
... parents coping with changing demands
of children and society.
... building safety and security in families.
... employers to develop equal conditions
for men and women.
... introducing new ideas and trends to society.
Services for parents and those who work
with them, such as employers, represent
core of our work. We also exert influence
on policy makers and institutions in order
to fulfil our visions: we comment on legislative bills and other legislative standards,
we prepare expert opinions and analysis.
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single parents
WHAT DO WE OFFER AND TO WHOM
APERIO offers services to future and current parents, single parents, disabled parents and employers from both private and
public segment.
For parents
• Web-based, free-of-charge legal and psychological counselling
• Web guide of obstetric facilities in the
Czech Republic
• Courses, seminars and discussions for
public
• Web information space - information on
preparation for parenthood, raising children, partner relations, work and family
balance
• Scientific publications
For experts
• Seminars and workshops for those who
work with parents
• Expert reviews and analysis
For employers
• Analysis of equal opportunities (gender
audits), equality plans
• Education and training of key managers,
human resources, employees
• Scientific publications
Our long-term effort was rewarded by granting us a status of the UN affiliated organisation, namely to its information section
DPI-NGO at the end of 2013.
www.aperio.cz
www.saminadeti.cz
MIESTO POD SLNKOM
(Slovakia)
MIESTO POD SLNKOM (non-profit organisation) was established in 2002. It offers the
following publicly beneficial services:
• Offering social help and humanitarian
care to persons in need, especially abandoned children, children in children
homes and one-parent families
• Helping families in crisis and substitute
families
• Implementing measures of social-legal
protection, education and social programmes in the meaning of accreditation granted by the Ministry of Labour
and Social Affairs and Family
• Granting specialized social counselling
for various target groups (families in crisis, socially excluded citizens, etc.)
• Education of social workers, volunteers for
social area and of community workers
• Projects focused on improvement of social work, social assistance and social
services for citizens in material and social destitute
• Mediating a provision of supervision and
performing the supervision in helping
professions by registered supervisors of
the non-profit organisation.
www.miestopodslnkom.sk
We wanted to know…
What do families of single parents you work with need most of all?
Single parents need, most of all, good financial security, an understanding employer and
an accessible housing.
How do you apply the attachment theory in your work?
The attachment is an emotional bond that develops between a child and mother during
the first years of life. I apply the attachment theory primarily while working with substitute
families that accept children with attachment disorder and who are frequently unable to
identify its impact and symptoms in children. This fact makes successful functioning of
these families difficult or impossible. Quality of the attachment impacts emotional health,
relationships and behaviour, for instance complex emotions during the whole life. Recovery of attachment for a child who witnessed domestic violence is also very important.
Traumatic experience, also in connection with violence, represents a risk factor for development of a secure attachment. Single mothers who experienced domestic violence and
their children need help of professionals in this area. In any case, this is a serious problem
not only for neglected and abandoned children, but also for children of other single parents, especially mothers, who may be at risk because they have to leave their children
quite early and return to work due to material reasons.
Why should we actually work with single parent families?
Families of single parents definitely need help and support, as well as professional counselling. They have to deal with many more issues in endeavour to keep the family together, securing all the tasks and functions – and all that with “half staffing” only.
about organisations involved in the project
11
ONE FAMILY
(Ireland)
One Family believes in an Ireland where
every family is cherished equally and enjoys the social, financial and legal equality
to create their own positive futures. One
Family is working to ensure a positive and
equal future for all members of all one-parent families in Ireland – changing attitudes,
services, policies and lives. Together with
one-parent families and those working
with them, we are committed to achieving
equality and respect for all families. In addition to striving for fundamental structural
change, we support individual one-parent
families as they parent through times of
family, work and life change, and those
experiencing a crisis pregnancy. We know
that every family is unique, and so we work
in a family centred way to bring about better lives for parents and children.
www.onefamily.ie
We wanted to know…
Why is it so important to support single parent families?
One Family believes that every child should grow up in a loving family, one that provides
a safe, healthy and caring environment. Our mission is to improve the lives of one parent
families in Ireland by strengthening the personal and professional capabilities of lone
parents so they can secure the best possible outcomes for their family.
What are the key principles of helping single parents to find a job?
The best pathway out of poverty is having access to well-paid employment. However
pathways are required to support lone parents to pursue their career plans and to achieve
sustainable employment. Balancing work and parenting is a challenge: their participation
in employment is not at the expense of parenting but rather is something that must be
accommodated with an important parenting role. We must remember that lone parents
are not a homogenous group but are highly diverse with differing needs and experiences.
Let’s imagine that all issues of single parents are solved in 15 years from now. What is
the situation of single parents in Ireland and how it is different from today?
In 2029 One Family will have worked and achieved a place of respect and acceptance
for those parenting alone; a society of compassion, which means that society connects
with others in a relationship of equals and society is completely non-judgmental. We will
have worked to ensure that All Families Matter and that the Irish Constitution has been
reviewed in relation to the family. Currently the Irish Constitution only recognises and
protects the marital family.
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single parents
ONE PARENT FAMILY SCOTLAND
(Scotland)
Established in 1944, One Parent Families
Scotland is the only national organisation
in Scotland whose overall mission is to
work with and on behalf of one parent families throughout Scotland. Our overarching
aim is to improve the lives of single parents
and their families, enabling them to benefit
from life’s opportunities, and fulfil their potential.
Delivering a wide range of services to single parents and their children in rural and
urban communities across Scotland, OPFS
has unrivalled knowledge and understanding of the issues facing them. We are
acutely aware of the needs of one parent
families in an ever-changing environment,
both in terms of practical services and, importantly, in terms of being able to access
those services.
We share a commitment to community
development; effective engagement with
communities is critical to the success of our
activities, in order that we can engage with
families, and that we can help to empower
their communities, building the capacity
and resilience to cope on their own and
together.
At structural level, we continue to work
closely with partner organisations, locally
and nationally, influencing policy, challenging prejudice and stigma, contributing
to service design, and ensuring that the
voices of single parents are heard by policy
makers and planners alike.
www.opfs.org.uk
We seek to achieve our aims and objectives
by pursuing change at three distinct levels:
Family, community and structural.
For the family, we deliver a range of practical services, with an emphasis on:
• Childcare services;
• Family and parenting support, including
working with children and young people;
• Employability services;
• Advice and information; Money advice
and welfare rights.
about organisations involved in the project
13
We wanted to know...
How long does OPFS work with single parents? Why do you think it is important to work
with this group of parents?
OPFS has been working with single parents for 70 years now! An achievement in itself.
We know single parents have one of the toughest and most challenging jobs – bearing
the sole responsibility for their children and being breadwinner in the family. We believe
this is a role that needs to be celebrated and supported through appropriate and relevant
employment, welfare benefits and support, family friendly working practices and public
services.
Over the last 5 years, One Parent Families Scotland, have developed and won an award
for an innovative Transforming Lives programme for young parents (aged 16-21). Why
do you think is the programme so effective and successful?
“The Transforming Lives Young Parents” programme has developed a holistic and supportive programme designed to assist vulnerable young lone mothers to address barriers,
provide them with family support and core employability skills and also strengthen the
connectedness of young parents and their families with mainstream services. The project
has been highlighted as effective in empowering young parents and providing them with
the support and skills they need to move on in their lives.
The success of this programme is built on the “young lone parent peer mentoring” aspect.
This key element has proved to have been very successful in engaging, supporting and
preparing young parents to prepare for their future.
Can you tell us more about peer mentoring service and what is its main benefit for single
parents?
Lone Parent Peer Mentoring is a tried and tested successful model to engage with young
lone parents and lone parents who are in need of additional support.
The unique programme achieves better outcomes by training young lone parents as Peer
Mentors to be positive role models for the vulnerable client groups. The Trained Peer
Mentors support the teen parents on a one to one basis and group basis by helping them
to improve the health and wellbeing of the children, building the young mothers confidence, promoting bonding and attachment, increasing the young mother’s knowledge
and understanding of family finances and prepare young lone parents for their futures.
The main benefit of engaging with the peer mentoring service is that their mentor acts as
a single point of contact for the young mum, advocates on her behalf and in turn helps to
boost their confidence, self-esteem and ability to access mainstream services.
The mentors support the young lone parents though out there time with the project. This
could be from early pregnancy until their child is around 3 years.
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single parents
SINGLE PARENT ACTION NETWORK
(UK)
SPAN is a Bristol based grassroots charity
with national reach. Our vision is to engage
and empower one-parent families living in
poverty and isolation, from different backgrounds and cultures, to improve their lives
and play a greater part in society. We work
to realize this vision through:
• Campaigning for policies and services
that support single parents and other
disadvantaged families to improve their
life chances. SPAN brings voices from
the grassroots to the corridors of power
in Bristol City Hall, Westminster and the
European Parliament.
• Conducting research that highlight the
issues facing single parents, other disadvantaged parents and their families.
We actively involve parents in this process giving them the opportunity to
have a voice and get heard.
• Offering on-line support to single parents through our dedicated website One
Space. The site offers single parents the
opportunity to get 1:1 support and advice on a range of topics, talk to others in
similar situations through forums, information, and, access to on-line learning
opportunities.
• Supporting parents in groups and 1:1. We
deliver the inclusive parenting program
Strengthening Families, Strengthening
Communities and have a dedicated parenting support team, which includes a father support worker and a Somali speaking support worker.
• Delivering a wide range of adult learning
opportunities in partnership with further and higher education providers to
support parents' personal development,
skills and employment prospects.
• Childcare for children to parents accessing SPAN services as well as members of
the wider community.
• Partnership work and a network of member organisations
www.spanuk.org.uk
www.onespace.org.uk
We wanted to know...
What is SPAN’s main aim when you work with one parent families? What from your
experience are the main problems these parents face in the UK/Bristol?
SPAN's main aim when working with single parents is to support them to empower themselves and take control of their lives. SPAN focus on working with single parents that
face multiple disadvantage and social inclusion. Issues faced by parents we work with
include:
• The impact of poverty on the everyday lives of parents and children. 75% of all children growing up in poverty in Bristol live in a single parent household.
about organisations involved in the project
15
We wanted to know...
• Difficulties in juggling work and family responsibilities due to a combination of lack
of childcare infrastructure and family friendly jobs.
• Lack of support to gain higher qualifications (level 3 and above) which would enable
parents to gain sustainable employment which pays enough to lift their families out
of poverty.
• Impact on welfare reforms and recent austerity measures which means a reduction
in income for unemployed as well as working single parents.
• Cost and availability of flexible childcare, particularly in deprived areas.
• Impact of domestic abuse and common mental health problems.
• Increased job seeking conditionality requirements and risk of sanctions if seen as
non-compliant. If a parent is sanctioned they lose all their benefits for a fixed period
of time, which often means that they build up debt.
• Debt and money problems.
• Language and literacy barriers among many of our service users who have come to the
UK as refugees.
You offer a unique online support – the website One Space – for single parents. Can
you briefly introduce the ways of support it offers?
OneSpace.org.uk is a national help, support and information website, with a daily average page impression of about 20,000 and a unique visitor average of about 1,300 people spending an average of 2 minutes on the site, with about 20% of visitors spending
over 6 minutes on the site. 20% of visitors are return visitors, mostly regular users (or
readers) of the forum.
The site provides information, signposting and support to single parents through the
following services:
• Ask the expert: this is a mixture of signposting, in-house advice and contracted advice. It covers the topics of money and debt (including benefits) domestic violence,
local services enquiries, relationship advice, child support and legal advice. Average
response time for these services is a week, though some of the legal questions may
take up to two weeks.
• Forum: This is a traditional discussion board. It has thousands of registered users,
though it gets on average between 300 and 500 views per day and between 5 and
10 new posts per day
• Information articles: OneSpace.org.uk has been publishing an average of 4 new articles per month on a range of topics from holidays to domestic violence. Information
areas cover Relationships, dealing with separation, children and money, enhancing
your life.
• Your Local, a database of local services and user groups. The original intention was to
provide some web space that user groups would maintain and update, but instead we
have had to allocate a member of staff to updating the database.
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single parents
• Life Check Tool. This was developed as a way for users to map their personal development. The software development was never fully completed and the tool itself is
cumbersome and little used
• Online Learning. It attracts considerable traffic (average between 15 and 20% of visitors). The most popular courses are personal development such as the Freedom Programme and the Everyday Assertiveness course. This area will be expanded in future
developments.
Do you get any feedback that online support is effective for single parents?
OneSpace.org.uk collects feedback from its users at least twice yearly through a formal
site survey and through the numerous comments we get on the Forum. Levels of satisfaction are generally very high, with the most common complaint over there being too
much content on the site making some items difficult to find. 95% per cent of users are
satisfied with our email support service, and the rest of the website is found to be useful
by over 90% of users.
Two examples of quotes from the most recent survey are below:
I would not change anything – it's wonderful. This is the second time I've used OneSpace
– I'm extremely grateful for all the help I've received on both occasions and I will be recommending it to everyone, including customers (I work in an information/advice role).
The advice I received gave me the confidence to take action. One space is a valuable and
important sanctuary for single parents who feel they don't have a voice.
I come on this site generally when I'm feeling low or when my son’s dad is been manipulative and I’m feeling smothered by his behaviour. Reading the forums reminds me, firstly
I’m not alone, and secondly draw strength from others experiences and often inspired by
a woman’s sheer will and determination to keep going in the face of adversity.
about organisations involved in the project
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PRESENTATIONS AND PANELISTS
TOPIC Situation of single parents in the Czech Republic
Věra Kuchařová, Anna Šťastná: Single Parents in Numbers
From a demographic view, ratio of one-parent families among families generally increases
and its structure is undergoing changes. Number of divorced persons heading households is
relatively decreasing; on the contrary, number of unmarried persons, primarily young women
up to 24 years, is increasing; number of men heading one-parent families is slightly growing.
This social demographic heterogeneity is reflected in unbalance of living conditions of
single parents and their children. Generally, their position in a view of balancing family and
work is worsened, and this affects living standards of one-parent families and parenteral
role. One-parent families are endangered by poverty by greater extent. Although for instance overall employment rate of lone mothers is greater than employment of those living
in two-parent families, their risk of unemployment -primarily when caring for very young
children – is higher.
This paper is aimed at highlighting links between social demographic and social economic
features of one-parent families in their heterogeneity with living conditions and social risks
of single mother families.
www.vupsv.cz
Dr. Anna Šťastná
studied Sociology at Faculty of Philosophy, Charles University
(2006) and Demography at Faculty of Natural Sciences, Charles University (2011). Since 2004, she has worked in the Research Institute
for Labour and Social Affairs, focusing on family policies, demographic behaviour and sociology of families.
Dr. Věra Kuchařová
is a researcher at the Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs,
leading a team of family policies. She has a long-term interest in
the area of family sociology, family behaviour, family and work balance and also in issues of social protections, primarily social legal
protection of children. She also focuses on differences in family life
and living conditions between two-parent and one-parent families,
issues like circumstances of family instability, comparison of living
conditions between two-parent and one-parent families and prerequisites and strategies related to balancing family and work of single mothers compared
to women living in marriages or partnerships.
Motto: Let´s support all childrens´ rights to parental care by helping their parents to provide it irrespective of the family structure.
presentations and panelists
19
Radka Dudová: How Single Parents Make Living for Their Families – Money, Work and
Social System in the Czech Republic
How is the economic situation of single parents in the Czech Republic? What strategies
they use to secure decent living standard for their families? How generous is the Czech
social system to lone parents compared to other European countries? Paper of R. Dudová
tries to find answers to these questions, on the basis of accessible statistic reports and
studies and own qualitative research of after-the-divorce motherhood. Contrary to prevailing stereotypes, data show that working activity is the main strategy for living and
securing own family – single mothers work in greater extend and more hours compared
to mothers living with a partner; they rely on social benefits in relatively limited extent in
certain periods of their life.
www.soc.cas.cz/oddeleni/gender-sociologie
www.genderonline.cz
Dr. Radka Dudová
is a researcher of Institute of Sociology of the Academy of Sciences
of the Czech Republic. She focuses on analysis of policies and institutions in the area of care for children and senior citizens. She
performs qualitative research of current transformations of partner
and family life, including single parenthood.
Motto: After all, love is the most important thing, and we abound in
love.
Eliška Kodyšová: Single Parents Being Parents
Differences between children growing up with single parents and children from two-parent
families exist both in academic outcomes and overall well-being, also from a long-term
view. The paper summarizes findings about deeper causes of these differences, i. e. parental
competencies, family conflict, poverty and overload of single parents. Further, it elaborates
on appropriate interventions based primarily on the attachment theory (J. Bowlby) and selfefficacy theory (A. Bandura).
Dr. Eliška Kodyšová
works for APERIO – Healthy Parenting Association as a methodological leader of the “Single Parents and Labour Market” project.
Psychologist, lecturer, psychotherapist; her work is primarily focused on parents, parenthood and transitory moments related to
this period.
Motto: You cannot imbue others when your own goblet is empty.
TOPIC Working with Families Endangered by Poverty
Eva Litavská: Activation of Personal Resources on the Way from Poverty
In my paper I will elaborate on ideas of American authors K. Payne, Philip De Vol, Terie
Dreussi Smith published in the book “Bridges Out of Poverty” that represent a core of the
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single parents
“Napredovanie” (Getting Ahead) programme. It is aimed at building resources to improve
quality of life. Members of the group, using 13 modules of Napredovanie, analyse their
lives, causes of the current situation, but also possibilities and resources for transformation.
This programme (performed in a modified form with lone mothers in social facility Dorka in
Košice) also helps these women finding their own way towards stability in private and family life. Individual meetings and themes are based on unique life stories of participants and
Napredovanie helps to make them understand the story, to reveal resources and possibilities to go ahead and make changes.
www.miestopodslnkom.sk
Dr. Eva Litavská
is a social counsellor working for the non-profit organisation Miesto
pod slnkom Košice. Since 1972, she has worked in a social area in
different positions, however she focused on care for family and
children. Currently, she works as a social counsellor and provides
specialised social counselling, is involved in education of substitute
parents and in supervision for social workers in children homes and
labour offices, social and legal protection departments.
Motto: Everybody is entitled to have their own place in the world.
Jitka Mozorová: Possibilities of helping and supporting pregnant women and mothers
with children
Possibilities of help and support offered by Na počátku (At the Onset) organisation to pregnant women and mothers with children, who currently live in difficult situation because of
pregnancy and motherhood, will be introduced in this paper. Following services are offered
by the Poradna Na počátku (Counselling Centre Na počátku), Domov pro dětský život (Home
for Childhood) and Byty Na počátku (Start up Housing), with emphasis on their continuity.
I will describe situation of women seeking help in our organisation together with examples
of good practice.
www.napocatku.cz
Jitka Mozorová
works in the organisation Na počátku as a head and social worker of
the Counselling Na počátku. She focuses on counselling to women
in difficult situations because of pregnancy and motherhood and
also on methodological, promotional and preventive activities (prevention of unexpected pregnancies).
“I am truly familiar with the single parenthood topics – I usually
meet women who are already alone during pregnancies – alone for
great life changes associated with a birth of a baby. I am convinced
that it is important to support these women in their parenthood and motherhood role,
despite difficulties they encounter. Nevertheless, I feel it is of the same importance to
seek ways to renew cohesion of family and partners' relations.”
Motto: If a woman is happy, the whole world will be happy.
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Kamila Tittelbachová: WOMEN FOR WOMEN – Working with Single Mothers in Prague
The main goal of the WOMEN FOR WOMEN organisation is helping women with children
who experience difficulties in their life and are unable to deal with these difficulties on their
own in spite of actively trying to do so. In addition to projects as social and legal counselling or sponsored lunches for school children, we run a complex programme of supported
housing and psychosocial help for mothers with children. The paper describes essential
concept of this project, the way how the project works in practice, what it offers to clients,
target groups and main objectives of the project. The paper also highlights importance of
complex help provided to single parents and benefits of this type of housing and support.
www.women-for-women.cz
Kamila Tittelbachová
graduated in psychosocial studies and theology from the Hussite
Theological Faculty, Charles University in Prague. She has worked
with teenage clients and their families in the Diagnostic Social
Care Institution in Prague. She currently works for the organisation
WOMEN FOR WOMEN as a social worker and co-ordinator of supported housing and psychosocial help project.
“Single parenthood is in fact a main theme of our agenda, with single mothers being our target group. I would like to achieve a society
where all parents unable to cope with their situation alone would always find support
and assistance in time. I also respect work of everybody who deals with single parents
and therefore contributes to improvement of their lives.”
Motto: Being a single parent means experiencing a new period of life, accompanied by series of worries and demands, but also by cheerful and beautiful moments. Let´s help single
parents to overcome daily concerns in order to be fully able to enjoy the most beautiful
moments in life that parenthood is undoubtedly associated with.
TOPIC Support of Functioning Relationships
Satwat Rehman: Teen Parent and Peer Mentoring Services
One Parent Families Scotland’s vision is a Scotland in which all families, without exception
can benefit from life’s opportunities. Our mission is to ensure one parent families have the
support, contacts and confidence needed to play a full part in Scotland’s economic and
social life.
One Parent Families Scotland, over the last 5 years have developed innovative ways of delivering services to young parents that reflect a departure from traditional approaches.
A tailored Young Lone Parent Pathway of support has been developed and delivered in
North Lanarkshire, with funding from North Lanarkshire Council, STV Appeal & William Grant
Trust, which has three elements and includes:
1.The Teen Parent Mentoring Service (pregnant teenagers aged 13–19)
2.The Young Parent & Child Transitional Groups (teen parents until babies are around
18 months.)
3.The Transforming Lives Programme (young lone parents and their children)
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This staged pathway provides information, advice, support, advocacy and peer mentoring
to young lone parents at crucial points in their lives. Lone Parent Peer Mentoring is a tried
and tested successful model to engage with young lone parents and lone parents who are
in need of additional support.
The Lone Parent Peer Mentoring Programme North Lanarkshire engages and supports pregnant teenagers and young lone parents with multiple barriers, to access local services and
adopt positive parenting and life skills strategies to give their children the best possible
start in life.
Satwat Rehman
has been the Director of One Parent Families Scotland since January 2011 and is responsible for the strategic direction, management
and governance of the organisation with a budget of over £3 million
per annum and a staff of over 150 to deliver information, advice,
support and training to lone parents across Scotland. Satwat’s own
professional background spans equalities, education, economic development and regeneration and early years and childcare. She is
a Member of the Scottish Government’s Ministerial Advisory group
on Child Poverty; Scottish Government’s Welfare Reform Scrutiny Group and the newly
formed Childcare Alliance’s Commission on the development of childcare in Scotland.
Motto: One Parent Families Scotland’s vision is a Scotland in which all families, without
exception can benefit from life’s opportunities. Our mission is to ensure one parent families
have the support, contacts and confidence needed to play a full part in Scotland’s economic
and social life.
Blanka Krotká and Iva Chlebková: Experience from Open Group Sessions for Single Parents
Centre for Family and Social Care (Centrum pro rodinu a sociální péči) in Brno offers programmes for one-parent and patchwork families focusing on support of these families in
overcoming problems associated with their individual situation. Parents may learn practical recommendations related to individual areas, discuss and share their experience during regular meetings organised for family groups. In parallel, a programme for children
“Klubíčko” is organised. These activities are aimed at prevention of risky behaviour in
children from one-parent and patchwork families through empowerment of parental competence.
www.crsp.cz
Blanka Krotká
works in the Centre for Family and Social Care. As a co-ordinator
of both open and close family groups and programme for children
“Klubíčko”, she supports parents and children from one-parent and
patchwork families.
Motto: Art of asking for help is a true act of courage.
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23
Iva Chlebková
works in the Centre for Family and Social Care as a social section
head. One-parent and patchwork families represent one of the target groups she works with. She co-ordinates group work within parental groups and individual work in a form of personal meetings,
both in-house and outreach.
Motto: Even the longest journey begins with a first step.
Ivana Janišová: In the Interest of a Child
It is easier than it appears – just remembering what we needed when we were little, where
we found our resources of self-confidence, safety and love; how we felt when we were losing the safe ground and how our values and priorities were trembled when our safety was
endangered. Children have their own needs, and if these are unfulfilled or endangered, or
even if children themselves are at risk, then an intervention, support and help for the family
are inevitable.
www.cestounecestou.org
Ivana Janišová
is a clinical psychologist focusing on family and child, writer of
books for children. She has spent her entire professional life working with vulnerable families and children. She assisted families
with children with disabilities and families with children with risky
behaviour, and she also focused on prevention of placement of
children into residential institutions. She currently leads a therapeutical section in the Crisis Centre for Family (Krizové centrum pro
rodinu) “Cestou necestou”. She is a member of several civic associations striving to achieve a decent life for senior citizens.
“Attitude towards single parenthood reflects also my belief: Family should be a safe
place full of love and unconditional acceptance. And the family form? It is not important
at all. It is really not essential from the child's point of view: one person, two persons (of
any gender), etc. Children need love and acceptance, understanding and safety. When
they have it, then they received everything they need for their life.”
Personal motto: The journey is not straight and simple, thus making it beautiful.
TOPIC Return to Labour Market
Stuart Duffin: New Futures; New Opportunities; New Confidence
New Futures is a career planning programme, developed by One Family in 2008 as a means
to engage welfare dependent lone parents in an innovative, integrated model of service
delivery that provides comprehensive guidance and family support resulting in them gaining the skills and confidence necessary to develop individual career action plans for labour
market progression, and to realise the first step on their action plans after engaging in the
service provided. The need for the New Futures Career planning programme was identi-
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fied in original national research conducted by One Family on One-Parent Family Payment
recipients. This research identified a high motivation in lone parents to progress from welfare dependency but also highlighted a number of barriers (childcare, cost of programmes,
difficulty in accessing courses, housing barriers, low levels of self confidence) that lone parents face when progressing into education or employment.
Dr. Stuart Duffin
is Director of Policy and Programmes with One Family. One Family
is Ireland's leading agency working to ensure a positive and equal
future for all members of all one-parent families and families in
transition. He is also advisory executive for New Communities Partnership, which seeks to empower and represent ethnic minorities
in Ireland. He is a member of the Department of Finance’s Financial
Inclusion Taskforce and a member of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Employment Supports.
Stuart Duffin is also Vice Chair of Llamau, a leading homelessness charity for vulnerable young people and women in Wales. He is convener of www.newcommunities.ie and
founder of the Migrant Families Support Service in Ireland.
In the past, he has assisted organisations in reviewing governance arrangements, strategic planning, preparing for inspection, and has assisted organisations in transition. He
has also been a special advisor to the Italian MEP Barbara Mater, and is an adjunct Professor of Community Development and Social Change at the Institute of Technology,
Carlow Ireland
Motto: Change = people + (will x education) + action security
Tove Samzelius: Supporting Return to Labour Market: Holistic Approach
The UK has one of the lowest levels of labour market participation among single parents in
the European Union. It also has some of the highest rates of poverty among single parent
families. In Bristol, where Single Parent Action Network (SPAN) is based, 75% of all children
that are growing up in poverty live in a household headed by a single parent. Employment is
often described as the best route out of poverty, but there are a number of specific reasons
for why return to paid work is a lot more difficult for single parents than for other groups in
the UK. In recent years, the British Government is putting a lot of pressure on single parents
to enter the labour market, but without creating a supportive infrastructure which enables
them to be workers and parents. As a result, many single parents are struggling to make ends
meet and develop careers that enable them to care for their families.
Attendees will learn more about:
• Difficulties facing single parents trying to (re)-enter the labour market in the UK
• Labour market interventions for single parents in the UK
• The benefits of ‘holistic’ interventions and support services for single parents
• Delivery of parenting support and adult education in the context of the UK.
• Good-practice examples of adult learning programmes from SPAN’s work in Bristol and
on-line.
presentations and panelists
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Tove Samzelius
is the Director of SPAN Family & Study Centre – a groundbreaking
multi-cultural support and learning centre for families situated in
one of the most deprived and ethnically diverse areas of Bristol.
Tove has worked for SPAN since 2006 and has extensive experience
of managing and developing innovative projects designed to empower and support single parents experiencing poverty and disadvantage. Many of these projects have focused on offering holistic
support to single parents that are trying to move in to employment.
She has designed and managed participatory research projects focusing on the experiences of single parent families facing poverty and social exclusion. Before joining SPAN,
Tove worked as a researcher specialising in gender and migration. She has also worked
in the European Parliament and is a fluent speaker of five languages. She has Master
degrees in Social Science Research Methods and in Sociology. Tove has personal experience of being a single parent in the UK and her first contact with SPAN, 10 years ago, was
as a service user.
Motto: I passionately believe in a society where all families are treated equal and where all
single parents can full-fill their potential.
TOPIC Legislation
Jana Seemanová: Legislation Abroad Serving as Inspiration for the Czech Republic?
Legal regulations governing status of single parents undergo changes. Social security of
these persons implemented in the past is gradually decreasing. Single parents with small
children therefore face difficult situation and many of them end up almost at the edge
of poverty. The conference participants will learn about assessment of social legal status
of single parents, about selected different approaches from abroad and about proposals
that may help improving complex situation of single parents.
Jana Seemanová
graduated from the Faculty of Law, Charles University in Prague. She
systematically deals with legal status of parents and single parents
on the labour market and with their social situation, both from theoretical and practical point of view. She is an author of several publications. She collaborates with the APERIO association for a long-term
period – she works as a co-ordinator and legal counsellor of the web
helpline for parents, she is a lecturer of legal minimum for parents
and a lecturer of courses for employers thematically focused on
flexible working regimes and work from home.
Motto: Help provided to single parents should be designed in a manner allowing and
enabling them to make decent living by themselves.
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single parents
Michaela Franzová: Changes prepared by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs for
One-parent Families
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs prepares a proposal of Substitute Alimentation Bill
that should be submitted to the government of the Czech Republic according to approved Plan
of Legislative Agenda of the Government by the end of 2014. Knowledge and experience of
other European countries with already adopted legislation were used for preparation of this Bill.
Objective of the Bill is to make sure that state deals with a social situation of the child through
benefits, without interfering with private legal relationship between the child´s parents, in situations defined by law for the family with children (considering family income, when the other
parent does not pay a determined child´s sustenance for certain period of time, etc.)
www.mpsv.cz/en
Michaela Franzová
graduated from the Faculty of Law, Charles University in Prague. After
working in the Czech Social Security Administration as a methodological specialist of the health insurance, she has worked since 2012
at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs at the Social and Family
Policy department focusing on strategic activities related to benefits
for care and currently she also contributes to preparation of the Substitute Alimentation Bill.
“The theme of single parenthood recently became more and more discussed since number of children living in one-parent families is growing in the last years. In my view, it is
necessary to deal with this issue, primarily in situations when upbringing or sustenance
of children living in one-parent families are endangered.”
Personal motto: We can achieve anything in life if we have the courage to dream and the
will to persevere.
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7/
Acknowledgement
We would like to thank our partner organisations, of which namely Ms. Eva Litavská, Satwat
Rehman, Tove Samzelius and Mr. Stuart Duffin put tremendous effort in accompanying us
during our foreign trips and provided us with valuable inspiration and support for bringing
further activities of our project in life.
We are also grateful to members of theme network of the project who supported us both
from expert and human perspective during the entire period of the project:
Marcela Bučková, Martina Coufalová, Vítězslava Dudková, Radka Dudová, Gabriela Horná,
Alice Chvojková, Ivana Janišová, Lenka Mottlová, Kamila Pádecká, Hana Pazlarová, Jana
Pilzová, Pavel Podivínský, Libuše Satorová, Silvie Novotná, Eva Šimáková, Petra Tenglerová,
Jolana Turnerová, Andrea Zvolánková.
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