Lone Parents Barred from Education by High Childcare Costs
The Challenge of Accessing Higher Education for Single Parents
Single parents in Ireland are facing significant challenges when it comes to accessing third-level education, primarily due to the high cost of childcare. Experts have raised concerns about how these financial and logistical barriers are preventing many single parents from pursuing higher education, which could be a vital step toward long-term employment and economic stability.
A recent study conducted by a team of Irish academics, in collaboration with the One Family organization, has highlighted the systemic issues that single parents encounter. These barriers not only affect their ability to secure well-paid, stable jobs but also contribute to a continued reliance on state support. The report emphasizes that education is a crucial tool for reducing poverty among one-parent families, yet these individuals remain an underrepresented group within the higher education system.
The research was led by Dr. Fiona Dukelow, Dr. Margaret Scanlon, and Edith Busteed from University College Cork (UCC), along with Dr. Joe Whelan from Trinity College Dublin. Funded by Research Ireland, the report outlines several key challenges that single parents face. These include the lack of recognition of additional care responsibilities and insufficient financial support to cover the real costs of education, housing, transport, and childcare.
The researchers recommend that the government adopt an “education first” approach, which would help single parents gain access to better-paying, more secure jobs. They also suggest that Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grants and social welfare payments should reflect the true cost of participation in education. In addition, they emphasize the need for affordable, quality childcare, secure housing, and flexible learning options.
Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family, highlighted the severe impact of poverty on single-parent families. She stated that these families often experience some of the highest levels of poverty, deprivation, and social exclusion in Ireland. According to her, a clear pathway out of poverty is needed, but current support systems and educational barriers prevent this from happening.
Kiernan stressed that access to education is essential for reducing poverty among single-parent families. She called for free childcare for single parents in higher education, adequate financial support to cover the full cost of education, and improved services tailored to the needs of students who are raising children alone.
Dr. Fiona Dukelow, a senior lecturer in social policy at UCC, pointed out that lone-parent students are largely invisible within the higher education system. She noted that behind the policy commitments lies a lack of data, targets, and supportive policies that could make a meaningful difference.
Independent Senator Lynn Ruane emphasized the importance of the research findings, urging all policymakers and politicians to take them seriously. She said the research reaffirms the role of education in ending child and family poverty through targeted, meaningful supports and guaranteed funding that addresses the structural barriers faced by single parents and their children.
She added that whole families depend on adequate state and higher education interventions that provide choices, but these must be clearly visible and easily accessible.
Despite promises from political parties like Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to cap childcare costs at €200 per month per child, these commitments have not been fully realized. Instead, a modest increase of €125 million in spending on childcare places was announced. Fianna Fáil made similar pledges, but Children’s Minister Norma Foley indicated that these goals would be achieved gradually over the lifetime of the government.
The Department of Children has stated its commitment to ensuring affordable early learning and care for all families, including those headed by single parents. It mentioned an investment of €1.48 billion in Budget 2026 for early learning and care, which will allow the department to build on recent progress in reducing fees for parents.
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