Being a single parent is not an easy task. The reliance of one individual to take care of one or even more children is a massive commitment that affects the potential to work, spend money and even have an active social life. There are lots of different areas of support out there to help people. This could be from the government, different arranged groups, independent agencies, or even friends and family. Single parents are not and should not be alone in bringing up their children and never be too proud to ask for a bit of help and support from others. Below are just a few examples of support that are out there.
Solicitors
Unfortunately, sometimes with relationship break-ups, external support is needed from people in order to help from a legal side of things. This is unfortunately not only in extreme circumstances but in a lot of different cases. The reason sometimes people call on family law solicitors is that they may need support in terms of parental responsibility or access. This is for both the mother and the father where there is an equal amount of accountability. It is much better if these things can be sorted between both parents without the need for interference but unfortunately, this is not the common case and clear rules of engagement are sometimes needed. The solicitors will help try and mediate things between both parties to come to a clear compromise and try and keep things out of court. Getting legal help also may not be as costly as people think and there is support such as “legal aid” available for people on low incomes. Do not be afraid to phone up and get free advice in the offset to see if this is something that would be able to help long-term bring some structure and agreements about.
Parenting Groups
In your local area, there is no doubt a local parenting group where mothers or fathers (or both) will get along together with their children, meet, and do some activities. This is actually a really good networking opportunity where single parents can have a chat with each other and give each other advice and support. You can normally find these sorts of groups advertised in places such as GP surgeries, social media, or even do a quick search online. The good thing also connected to these types of groups is that they are usually free!
Financial Support
Times are really tough at the moment for a lot of people and the cost of living is rising. The economy is not as strong as forecasted and inflation is rocketing. This affects every penny that is being spent on a child in terms of food, clothing, and even babysitting. It is important that you look into every area of income that could be of benefit to you. This could include government money or benefits or even reductions or discounts to specific events, transport, or groups. There is a recognition that being a single parent can be financially challenging hence why there is a lot of potential support mechanisms available. How to find out about most of these is via the internet. If you go onto the government websites, that will help you in terms of any social benefits you can claim. Make sure you search also though for the other support in the local area that there may be discounts or reductions on. If you go to one of the parenting groups, this is a good topic for conversation.