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Calling all single parents! Do you go out on dates? Yes? How often? Once a... year?
According to new research conducted by dating service Match, over a third of single parents say they haven't been on a date in over a year and 45 per cent say they never date.
The study, which questioned 755 single British parents with children under 16, looked into their dating patterns and found, perhaps unsurprisingly, that many choose to put their children first.
65 per cent said that they thought their love lives had been hindered in order to protect their children, whilst 30 per cent said they didn't date because they don't have access to childcare.
Whilst there were other reasons cited for not dating - lack of confidence, not knowing where to find love, limited free time and the general stress of it - it was the childcare issue which piqued the interest of Match.
In view of this, Match decided to team up with homecare services platform Yoopies UK to offer three hours free - yes, free - babysitting to new and existing single parent subscribers.
Where does this three hours figure come from? It's roughly the length of the average date, the research uncovered (specifically, 163 minutes).
"We understand there are so many things for single parents to juggle, especially when it comes to dating," says Match's dating expert, Vicki Pavitt. "It’s not just popping out to grab a quick bite, but booking the babysitter, organising the taxi so you’re not late back and also arranging the follow ups – it’s a military operation.
"So with this new offering from Match at least there is one less thing to worry about."
Available until September 30, 2018, the offer entails £30 use on Yoopies.co.uk - the average cost of three hours' babysitting.
"Finding the right childcare when you go out on a date is a real challenge, especially if you're a single parent," says Yoopies CEO, Benjamin Suchar.
"We're therefore really excited about our new partnership with Match and hope that it helps its new members enjoy their first date without the worry of babysitting costs."