Frolo Helps Single Parents Find Romance and Community

The Short Version: Single parents built Frolo, a dating and community app, for other single parents. Zoë Desmond launched it after she became a single parent herself and saw how few resources existed to help parents like her build community. Zoë told us her story, explained why she started Frolo, and shared how the app keeps building communities and fostering relationships. Single parenthood brings plenty of challenges already, so Frolo makes dating and making friends as easy as it can be.

Last year, on National Single Parent’s Day (March 21), the Census Bureau put out statistics and observations about single parents across the U.S. They showed that nearly a quarter of American kids live with a single parent and no other adults, more than triple the global share of children in that situation.

Twenty-three percent of American children live in single-parent homes, versus 15% in Canada, 4% in Nigeria, and 3% in China. Single parents and their kids account for a large slice of the population, but single-parent homes are still often surrounded by stigma and outdated stories. As a group, single parents are frequently underserved and in need of support.

Frolo helps single parents build community and meet potential dates with remarkable ease and accessibility. Frolo founder Zoë Desmond, a single parent herself, told us about her dating and community-building app and how it helps single parents enjoy experiences that are positive, supported, and thriving.

“I didn’t know any other single parents when I became a single parent, and I was really struggling with navigating life as a new mom dealing with the end of a relationship,” Zoë said. “Single parents deal with so many challenges, and it can be hard to find connection. I started Frolo because I really wanted to help single parents, and give them the kind of support I wish I had.”

How Zoë Came to Found Frolo

Zoë’s son was a year old in 2018, the year she became a single parent. She said the breakup with her son’s father, along with the adjustment of that first year of parenthood, made it a hard period.

“I was navigating life as a new mom, and grieving the end of this relationship, and grieving the idea of a family unit I had for so long,” Zoë said. “I found myself really craving connection with other single parents. I didn’t know any single parents, and it was lonely and isolating.”

Strong, healthy relationships rank among the biggest contributors to how satisfied people feel with life overall. As Zoë came to see, single parents need connections with like-minded people who know what single parenthood is like. But when she searched for an app designed to connect single parents, she came up empty.

Zoë started Frolo so single parents could get much-needed social support.

“I wasn’t looking to start a business, I just wanted to create an app that made community easier,” Zoë told us. “I searched high and low for something that would fit the bill, and I just couldn’t find anything. I felt like I needed to do it myself, so I launched in 2019.”

Within days of launching on app stores, Frolo had thousands of users, Zoë said, and it keeps changing the story told about single parenthood. “On traditional dating apps, it’s so common for single parents to see the word baggage being used to describe having children,” she said. “It’s hard enough to pluck up the courage to get on a dating app, and it’s discouraging to be met with that.”

The dating world is full of damaging narratives about single parents, who are often treated badly. “It’s so easy to feel like we’re on the back foot, like we should be grateful anyone wants to date us,” Zoë said. “Our community needs a safe, understanding, and mindful dating space, and that’s what Frolo is.”

Frolo Simplifies Life for Parents

Frolo began as a space for building community and friendships, and it recently introduced a dating feature after lots of users asked for one. Zoë said the aim of the dating feature was to give single parents a safe, respectful online dating experience.

“Frolo has two modes now,” Zoë explained, “a community mode and dating mode. Every user on Frolo dating is verified, meaning there are no fake users, and everyone is a single parent. It really adds a layer of trust and respect to the platform. We’re also trying to stay on top of adding new features to make the experience as great as possible.”

The app’s dating mode recently gained an anti-ghosting feature. When users have unanswered messages, it prompts them with a few suggested replies. “They’re given options, one is to send a message that says they’ve had a busy week and will get back to them soon. Another is a message that says they’ve found someone, or they’re just done looking at the moment.”

Frolo offers a wide range of features in both its community and dating modes.

In the world of dating apps, Frolo’s anti-ghosting feature feels like a breath of fresh air. Good dating etiquette is always smart, and online, that means steering clear of breadcrumbing, zombieing, ghosting, and every other -ing that plagues the scene.

Dating mode and community mode are entirely separate, though they live in the same app. That lets parents keep distinct profiles and means nobody has to use both. Through the community feature, users get friend discovery, a social feed, personal chats, and chances to meet up IRL.

Single parents can scroll through other users’ posts and check out the profiles of other single parents nearby. Setting up a playdate for the kids, or a guys’ or girls’ night out, is simple. Frolo gives parents loads of options, letting them shape the app around their particular dating and community-building needs. Flexibility matters to single parents, and Frolo respects that.

Finding Joy in Dating as a Single Parent

Dating as a single parent is a one-of-a-kind experience, and Zoë said she’s convinced it can be a wonderful one. The key is going in with reasonable expectations, and only when you’re ready to be emotionally open and available again.

“One wonderful part about dating other single parents is that you both prioritize your kids,” Zoë said. “And that’s really lovely. You know that your partner will understand the ups and downs and challenges and be able to deal with them on a daily basis. Beyond that, they can empathize and really understand what you’re going through.”

Frolo helps single parents live easier, more connected lives.

Zoë’s advice to single parents is to date with intention. “Don’t date till you’re ready. And really make sure that you’re at a point where you’re not viewing dating as finding someone to come in and fix everything for you, but rather someone who will enrich your life.”

Zoë suggested that single parents move slowly and take time for reflection and healing before they return to dating. “Make sure you love yourself first,” she said. “Do whatever work you need to do, and enter with an open mind. Whatever happens, you’re going to be OK.”

Zoë said she built Frolo to give single parents a place where they could feel empowered in dating. “Single parents have this automatic respect for each other, and we see it all the time on Frolo. That respect can lead to really beautiful and extremely supportive relationships.”

Give Frolo a try today! Enter code DATING25 to save 25% on a premium dating subscription, good through September 2024.