Thinking about single parents in public policy

European states vary in the way single parents are represented and treated as categories in public policy. This paper like most work on single parents argues that this reflects gender norms unpinning public policy in a given context: in general terms countries scoring highly on indicators of gender equality are more likely to mainstream single parents in policy. The paper draws on research mapping European countries' provision for single parents in policy relating to parenting-related leave. Based on existing QCA analysis of leave (Ciccia & Verloo, 2012) which classes countries with reference to dual earner or male breadwinner models, it proposes four models of leave provision for single parents. The complexity of leave design and the path-specific dynamics of policy change in European countries make it a very specific policy area, but the paper reflects on wider lessons for mainstreaming single parenthood in public policy.