Single-parent or single-parent families are those in which one parent lives with and is solely responsible for his or her minor or dependent children. Here we speak of “single-parent household”, the main or primary nucleus. A percentage of single-parent households are included in a complex family in which there is a couple, often the children’s grandparents. In this case, we speak of a secondary or dependent single-parent nucleus.
Single-parent families are profoundly diverse. Let us take as an example the following situations that would constitute single-parent nuclei and that configure very different families with respect to their living conditions:
- The teenage mother with her baby, both living with grandparents.
- The separated mother who lives with her two children and works cleaning homes by the hour.
- The construction worker, widowed or separated, who lives with descendants under 18 years of age.
- The liberal professional woman who has adopted a daughter.
Having made this general review of the current situation of families in Spain and specifically of single-parent families (taken from M. Mar González, Proyecto Renova 2000), we are particularly interested in the reality of single mothers.
SINGLE MOTHERS
From our experience with single mothers, we have observed a series of difficulties experienced by women facing motherhood alone. Some of these difficulties are common to those experienced by other types of single-parent families, and others are peculiar to the current condition of single mothers.
From this perspective, the activities that the foundation has carried out during all these years have tried to attend to all the aspects that a single mother, as a single parent and as a woman, encompasses. Many of these aspects are shared by the rest of the women’s groups, so the programs developed have always been open to any woman who wanted to participate in them. There are even specific programs being developed that are aimed at minors (boys and girls).
Likewise, this foundation has tried and will try to be in solidarity with the rest of women’s organizations, collaborating or integrating in all those initiatives that can be addressed from their field.
In 1992, we decided to undertake a way to self-finance what was then an association of single mothers Isadora Duncan, which was the creation of the company “Isadora Duncan S.L.”. This company was formed by members directly linked to the Association, and its main objective was to provide employment to women with family responsibilities. By statute, he never distributed profits, but they went entirely to the non-profit association “Isadora Duncan”. For 10 years this company was contracted by the Provincial Councils of León and Zamora to provide home help services in several rural areas of both provinces. Most of the services provided by this Association are self-financed and free of charge. Thanks to this self-financing, this Association was able to make a dream come true: the purchase of premises, where all the activities and services presented on this page can be carried out.
At the end of 2006, we took another step forward by creating the Isadora Duncan Single-Parent Families Foundation, a legal figure under the that we are currently working under, and which follows the same line that we have maintained since our beginnings.
