Changing Society

Standard Grade Modern StudiesLone Parent

Families

Recap on the last lesson…• In the last lesson we looked at a

film on ‘The Cost of Children’. It looked at…

• People are waiting to have a family

• The cost of babies• Childcare costs• Cost of children• How some parents

struggle

Learning Objective

• Describe what lone parent families are like in the UK

• Describe some of the financial problems lone parents may have

• Understand how these financial problems can lead to more problems in lone parent families

• Explain why lone parents are more likely to be employed in low paid jobs

• Recognise the work the CSA does and criticisms of it

To describe the problems that can be faced by some lone parent families

Success CriteriaTo be successful you will be able to…

Lone Parent Families in the UK

• A lone parent family is used to describe families with only one adult living in the home

• In 2005 there were 1.9 million lone parents in the UK

• There were 3.1 million children in lone parent families

• About 1 out of 4 families with dependent children are lone parent families

• The majority of lone parent families are created through divorce and separation

• 9% of lone parents are male

Financial Problems...

• SOME lone parents struggle with money

• Only 1 income = Less money coming in to the home

• Relatively low income• Pay for expensive childminders

Financial Problems can lead onto other problems. Lone parents are more likely to...

• Live in poor housing• Be less likely to own their

own home• Be female• Live in poverty• If they are female be less

likely to be in a well-paid job

LONE PARENTS AND LOW PAID JOBSLone parents are more likely to be in low

paid jobs. With your partner use the clues

below to help you think of reasons why.1. 2.

3.

4. 5.

Answers...

1. Unable to work at weekends2. Lack of qualifications mean they

might struggle to get a well paid job

3. Unable or unwilling to travel far4. Choice of jobs is limited because

they have to be there to take their children to and from school

5. Childcare may be too expensive

Child Support Agency• Child support is paid by a non-resident

parent towards the financial cost of raising a child

Its main activities include:• Establishing child support• Establishing regular payment patterns• Maintaining child support

Criticisms of the CSA

• Incompetence• Inaccuracy• Costs higher than returns• Saves the Government money

rather than help families• Ignores prior agreements between

parents• Closing soon?

SOME, but not ALL lone parent families struggle

Terri Irwin

Bob Geldof

JK Rowling

Activity...

• Read through Pages 60-63• From Page 64 answer

questions• 1 – 10 your jotters in

sentences

• Use p. 65 – 66 to help you complete the worksheet exercise

Have You Been Successful?Rate your own learning: GREEN – Understand fully what we have learnt AMBER – Understand some of it RED – Unsure about most/all of it

•Describe what lone parent families are like in the UK•Describe some of the financial problems lone parents may have•Understand how these financial problems can lead to more problems in lone parent families•Explain why lone parents are more likely to be employed in low paid jobs

You should now be able to...