Marital breakdown, freedom of choice, the sperm bank . . . whatever the reason, there is an increasing number of loneparent families these days, giving rise to all sorts of speculation and suggestion. Among the ideas being pushed at the moment - especially in Britain - is the importance of getting such parents into the workforce. But is it all that simple?

Helen Miller is development manager with Cherish, an organisation which offers suppport and information to single women during and after pregnancy. "There is a tendency to encourage single parents into the workforce," she says. "There is also a stigma attached to being on social welfare, compounded by negative media coverage of the `State-dependent welfare mum', all of which means single parents feel under increasing pressure to go out to work. "But being a working parent, single or married, is a hard, tough life. We would, say if a woman prefers to work in the home, her choice should be respected, and supported." The stress of trying to make it all work - home, children, job and a bit of time out - can prove to be too much at times. "It is the same for a mother working outside the home who is not in a supportive relationship," Miller says. "You just end up with an incredibly demanding workload. Flexi-time would help considerably, or job-sharing. "But on top of the stress of trying to get it all right, at the end of a long day a single parent would often have no one to talk to about problems at work, nor anyone to discuss an important decision with - either regarding the children or work. There is all this added responsibility, and it can feel overwhelming."

Probably the most difficult area for working parents is childcare, which is particulalry expensive if you are meeting the cost alone. "By the time they have paid rent and childcare, unless they are in a very well paid position, many single parents are just better off on social welfare," she argues.

Despite the problems single working parents encounter, there are a lot of advantages to working outside the home, says Miller. "It is important for single parents to have the opportunity to meet and talk to other adults," she says, "and it also helps with selfesteem. If the childcare is manageable and it doesn't prove too stressful, it is a very positive thing for lone parents to do."

Elizabeth Hughes is a single mother with three children, aged eight, seven and 11 months. She started working after completing the Foroige First Step programme for young single mothers. "When I had my first child I was completely alone all day long," she says. "It is hard to motivate yourself to do anything when you are that isolated."

Hughes works part time with the Women's Support Project in Tallaght. "I was working full time, but getting in after five, doing the kids' homework, feeding them, sorting the house and getting ready for the morning - it was all just too exhausting. I was in bed by 8 p.m. every night! "Finding reliable, affordable childcare was impossible too. I depend a lot on friends, especially during the summer when the kids are on holiday. We should have more Statesubsidised childcare facilities here. In fact, all employers should be obliged to find good quality care for their employees."

She is still part of a local support group for young mothers, which meets every week. "You need someone to talk to, to share your worries with and to help you with all sorts of decisions," she says. "We are all in the same boat so we understand each other, and we all get a chance to unload some of our problems. There should be groups like this for parents all over the country. "Although it can be hard, I would still always choose to work. You get a break from the kids - so you end up enjoying them more - and you have some sort of stimulation. Going to work gets you out of the house every day, and you're doing something for yourself. "It is important to think long term and remember children grow up. Then what will the mother do? It is hard to work and be a single parent; to me, even if it means you end up in bed at eight every night, the sense of doing something for yourself and the self-esteem it gives you makes it worth all the difficulty."

A recently published report of the First Step programme, run in conjunction with Foroige National Youth Development Organisation, is available from Foroige, Irish Farm Centre, Bluebell, Dublin 12.