A Question of Balance: Lone parents, childcare and work

As part of its welfare to work strategy the Government has been concerned to encourage and increase lone parents' participation in the labour market and has set itself the target of an employment rate of 70 per cent for lone parents by 2010. Research findings over the course of the last ten years or so have shown that childcare is an important contributing factor in the labour market behaviour of lone parents. This report presents findings from qualitative research to increase understanding of lone parents' attitudes towards and experiences of childcare, their decisions about childcare and work, and their views and experiences of recent and imminent policy initiatives and changes. (It should be noted that this report was drafted prior to the Government's childcare strategy announcements in December 2004).