Welcome to SingleParents.org.uk

Your website for All things SingleParent.

Understanding, valuing and supporting your role in raising the next generation.

If you are single and a parent raising children on your own, due to relationship breakup, illness, bereavement, work commitments or choice – this is the place for you.

SUPPORT

Help, I'm about to become a single parent!

Click for some practical information and things to consider to help you on your way. Nobody says its going to be easy, but you can do it, you are not alone, there are plenty of us out here!

YOUR WELLBEING

Looking after you

We are the most influential person in our children’s life, so it is important that we feel strong, confident and in control!
YOUR CHILDREN

Supporting you with your family

When we are parenting alone, we may find there is no-one to discuss our children’s behaviour with. We have put together some resources that we have found useful.
Your Ex

Relationships and communication

Legal rights and responsibilities particularly relating to contact and access issues with the children is an area that can cause conflict.

Join us

Join us to hear about the latest updates coming soon.
– Newsletter
– Forums
– Local support
– Online courses

Join Us
Your money

Financial support for single parents

Are you aware of all the benefits and support you are able to apply for?

Your money

Housing support for single parents

Single parents with dependent children are classed as having a high priority need.
Your Money

My Ex is lying to the CSA

My ex earns more than he declares!... This is benefit fraud.
Your children

Introducing a new partner to your children

Take some time to consider when and where you might introduce a new adult into your children's lives.

Domestic abuse and violence

Discover essential information on navigating life after domestic abuse and violence. Learn about the cyclical nature of abuse, common tactics used by abusers and effective parenting strategies for children exposed to violence. Find valuable resources to support your journey towards healing and recovery. Empowered knowledge can be a powerful tool in breaking free from the cycle of abuse and building a safer future.

Find out more

School

Our children spend a significant amount of their time in school. We need to constantly encourage them through it yet also navigate difficult times, when trouble arises.

Teens

Teenagers have very specific issues and it can be exhausting trying to provide the support they need. There are very few hard and fast rules on how to deal with teenagers many issues and that's before we even mention relationships!

Resource Hub

Single parent stories

A day in the life of a single parent

Single parents have a multitude of jobs and our days are constant, from the minute we wake up to the minute we go back to bed! Our role as chef, cleaner, social coordinator, taxi, doctor, nurse, teacher, counsellor, kitchen porter, childminder, house keeper maid, security guard, handyperson, accountant, book keeper, confidante, supervisor, secretary, nutritionist, personal assistant, life coach, laundry maid, motivational speaker and entertainer applies to all parents. However when you are parenting alone, you have no-one to share these roles with! We don’t get holiday pay, sick pay or days off and we're on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week. SingleParents.org.uk decided to make a film which showed the Day in the Life of a Single Parent.
Single parent stories

My life as a single dad

My son has lived with me alone since he was 4 years old. He moved out when he was 18 but has been back with me for over a year now. For 20 years I have been a single parent. In all that time I don’t think I have got to know another dad in a similar situation. I haven’t tried to seek them out. I have enjoyed my uniqueness. I know my own experiences and feelings are just that and I wouldn’t want to generalise. How different would things be for me if I had more than one child, a daughter rather than a son, if I moved here from a foreign land?
Single parent stories

From volunteer to manager

SPAN's Parenting Support Manager tells the story of how she first started as a volunteer and how she has developed the skills and knowledge to become one of the senior managers at SPAN...
Single parent stories

There are no winners in a custody conflict

I am able to sit back now and look back on my 'single parent years' with detachment and objectivity. I also think of the single parents I know or have known. Perhaps the one issue that stands out as being a scar or sore that spoils the lives of parents and kids is that of the acrimonious split, the custody and access battles and a fall out that can become permanent. So many negative emotions and feelings can be unleashed – anger, uncertainty, bitterness, confusion, lies, hatred, paranoia. I know what it's like because I went through it.