Lone parents
Child poverty has harmful consequences for children’s health, wellbeing and social development, including educational attainment.
- In 2016-19, of the 230,000 children in Scotland in relative poverty, 90,000 lived in lone parent families
- Lone parent families face higher levels of financial insecurity, a greater risk of poverty and higher levels of food insecurity than couple families
To reduce child poverty in lone parent families, it will be essential to ensure:
⦁ Quality, flexible childcare is available to meet their needs
⦁ Flexible, employment opportunities that lift families out of poverty are available to meet their needs
⦁ The social security system protects families and children against poverty.
Read the lone parents briefing paper
COVID-19 and lone parent households
COVID-19 is likely to pose additional challenges to efforts to prevent and reduce child poverty in Scotland.
We have prepared a short briefing focused on COVID-19 and lone parents to accompany our publications focused on lone parents in poverty.
The briefing:
- identifies how lone parents might be experiencing this crisis
- notes the mitigation measures put in place by the UK and Scottish Government that might support some lone parent families
- raises concerns that COVID-19 will have further negative consequences for lone-parent families
- makes recommendations for further actions in the short and medium-term.