Today, there are two million single parent families in the country. Gingerbread champions their voices and keeps their needs at the heart of everything they do all year round. Since 2018, Gingerbread has celebrated Single Parents’ Day by raising awareness of the specific concerns of single parent families and celebrating their contribution.
 
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “Single parents make an important contribution to our economy, communities and society. The vast majority of our members are key workers delivering essential services and a quarter of them are single parents, so it is important we work with employers to ensure they receive the right support at work to enable them to balance their job with their caring responsibilities.
 
“Childcare is a significant issue, with single parents being more likely to rely on informal childcare arrangements, along with wraparound provision at schools. Single parents tell us that they have difficulty arranging childcare around work and heavily rely on unpaid caring arrangements with friends, neighbours, grandparents and other family members. The situation is worse for those working evenings, early mornings, nights and weekends, when school clubs and formal childcare are unavailable. 
 
“Usdaw will continue our year-round campaigning to get a new deal for workers. The Government announced some welcome changes to childcare support in last week’s Budget, but they don’t go nearly far enough or happen anytime soon enough. Single parents, particularly those working in 24/7 industries, face barriers to accessing childcare support in terms of availability, affordability, and flexibility of provision. There is still much more to do.”
 
What single parents have told Usdaw:

• “I have mentioned to my manager about problems with childcare on evening shifts, but they won't do anything.”
• It can be extremely difficult to find suitable childcare to support going back to work. I had to step down from my full-time position and work part time.”
• If I didn’t use grandparents, it wouldn’t be worth me going to work. In the holidays I work twilight shifts, so grandparents care for the children in the evening.”
• “I don't have extra childcare; I have to stay in a job that makes me unhappy and pays me poorly to fit around my children, there is no other option right now.”
• Finding childcare for a sick or unwell child is impossible and I feel I am unfairly chastised for this is in my place of work.”
• “I have no choice but to use family for childcare, because the childcare where I live is nearly what I get paid an hour.”
• “I work really early some days or extremely late others, normal childcare starts 7am and finishes at 6pm which is totally no good.”
• “Childcare is expensive. Availability is limited for older children, who can't be left home alone unsupervised (6-11years).”
• “At the moment I rely on just my mum but as my mum’s health declines, I am finding it very difficult to work and look after a child.”
• “I need to work more hours, but my employer will not contract me extra unless I agree to 50% of extra hours as flexible. Childminders want set contact hours.” 

Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 350,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
 
Gingerbread: www.gingerbread.org.uk

For Usdaw press releases visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion