Children in single parent families are in high risk for poverty, social exclusion and mental health issues. The aim of the project is to provide support for single parent families that are in risk for social exclusion. Innovative social support services will be developed and provided in Riga planning region to help single parent families to meet the best interests of the child and protect them from risk factors.
Project activities: 1) identify the best practice; 2) develop methodology; 3) support and self-help groups for single parents; 4) expert trainings; 5) develop and distribute information for single parents. Target group- 50 single parents and 64 psychologists, and social workers working with families.

Project results: Aim of the project was to create new social services for single parent families, to create opportunities for families to receive support to face psychological, financial and social challenges and to develop resources for self-help movement. The aims of the project were fully reached- new services in the form of support groups and training program for self-help group leaders was created and delivered.
The amount and scope of the results created in this project exceeded the initial plan.
•80 families participated in the support groups that took place in Riga, Ogre, Sigulda, Jelgava and Olaine.
•Handbook was developed how to best support single parent families and lead parent a group that was delivered to the 134 experts that participated in the project activities and is available on the homepage www.berniemdraudzigs.lv.
•24 family support professionals (social workers and psychologists) and self-help group leaders participated in the in-depth training and supervisions to enhance their capacity to lead support groups for single parents. Training was led by project experts and expert from Sweden. These experts provide considerable long-term resource for single parent families and continue to provide support to families also beyond the scope of the project.
•Project has also promoted civic participation by involving single parents in a self-help movement. Parents who participated in the project have created platform for further communication in Facebook and continue to support each other.
Experts trained to support single parents are using the know-how gained during the project to offer enhanced services both under the premises of Social services as well as private mental health and parent support institutions. Self-help movement has been established by the participants from the support groups.
The next steps would be to promote the involvement of the decision makers and to advocate tailored financial support to the single parent families that are the poorest families in Latvia. It’s also important to further enhance the results of current project- develop more information resources and stronger social support network for the single parent families.