Single parent myth-busting

With new research revealing that single parents still find themselves subject to stigma in the media, workplace and the community, single parent charity Gingerbread has set out to bust a few single parent myths:

It reveals that:

• 26% of UK families with dependent children are headed by a single parent, a figure that has remained consistent since the mid-1990s
• There are 2 million single parent families in the UK
• 60% of single parents work, and the overwhelming majority of rest want to work, but are hampered by childcare costs and a lack of family friendly jobs
• The majority (58%) of single parents have one child
• The average age of a single parent is 38
• Around 8% of single parents are fathers

“Single parents do a fantastic job, often in difficult circumstances. It is disheartening and frustrating that so many are still facing outdated stigma in their daily lives,” said Gingerbread Chief Executive Fiona Weir. “Single parent families are a normal part of family life today and it is high time we changed the way society perceives and talks about them. We should all be celebrating the incredible work that they do.”

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