supporting parents
Endless nights of dirty nappies, baby-bottles and blue-eyed smiles... the first-tooth, the first words, the first steps, the first anxious walk to school... the first centre-stage star-turn ... the first date... the first kiss...
... the first signs of adolescent attitude... the slammed doors and temper-tantrums... the broken curfews and bruised egos... the raised voices and flouted rules...
Even the most committed and successful parent is likely to have had the kind of ‘teething- troubles’. But for millions of other adults the joyous-bewildering-exhausting-but-rewarding ride that is ‘parenthood’ is further complicated by additional pressures such as:
- poverty
- being a lone parent
- domestic abuse,
- looking after a child with learning difficulties or mental health needs
learn more
Working in parent’s homes or in children’s and family centres in the heart of the community, highly-trained Spurgeons staff provide advice and build confidence through one-to-one sessions, parenting programmes and group work.
Our welcoming approach helps parents to discuss the challenges that they face and allows them to access support that will be of benefit to the whole family.
fast facts
fast facts about parents
- The UK has far more single-parent families than any other EU nation.
- There are more than 2.3 million lone-parent families in the UK. [1]
- At least 48% of children in lone-parent families are living below the poverty line. The majority of lone-parents claim income support.
- More than 8% of lone parents cannot afford two pairs of shoes for each child.
- More than 12% of lone parents cannot afford to buy presents when celebrating special occasions.
- The 2004/5 Family Resources Survey, published by the Department for Work and Pension, reports that: 60% of people on low incomes say they are unable to make savings of £10 a month; 10% cannot afford two pairs of all-weather shoes for each adult in the family; 30% cannot afford household contents insurance; and nearly 30% are unable to have friends or family round for a meal once a months.
- Women’s Aid report that 1 in 4 women will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime – many of these on a number of occasions.
- A UN study on violence against children, carried out in 2006 estimated that more than 240,000 children in the UK were exposed to domestic abuse. [2]
[1] All statistics are from the Department For Work And Pensions
[2] United Nations Secretary-General’s Study On Violence Against Children (2006)