Page 2497 - Week 07 - Thursday, 3 August 2017
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Education is really important, and it is important that our education system supports single parents to continue and complete their education. I am very proud that in my electorate we have a nation-leading model of support for young parents in the CCCares program based in Phillip. I was very pleased to visit Canberra College recently to see firsthand how the program is supporting parents.
The CCCares program supports young and single parents, who are able to study in a safe, supportive environment while caring for their children. Young women are studying and training to complete their year 12 certificate or vocational education through CIT, with on-site childcare services to support them, as well as allied health staff from the child development service providing regular drop-in services and consultations with parents and children. This is an opportunity for therapists to screen the developmental milestones of children in the program, offer advice and facilitate referrals, including to other appropriate services as required. It was great to see the CCCares program featured on the SBS Insight program this week, which was focusing on teen parents. It is certainly well-deserved recognition.
We know from the recent household, income and labour dynamics in Australia survey, the HILDA survey, that poverty rates are higher for people living in single-parent families. In 2015, 21 per cent of people living in single-parent families were in poverty. Single parents may therefore require extra support for housing, through either public housing or affordable housing. Our government has a strong commitment to renewing public housing in the ACT, with an investment to date of $608 million. A significant number of those qualifying for public housing assistance are single parents. The renewal program will ensure they have safe, suitable and modern housing that meets their family’s needs. In addition to housing support, the ACT government provides an extensive concessions program, which is available to those holding an eligible concession card, for assistance with utilities and transport—which are obviously significant cost-of-living issues.
Importantly, the ACT government is also supporting single mothers to transition to work and employment. The ACT government provides the women’s return to work grants program to support women to return to the paid workforce through financial assistance: individual grants of up to $1,000. We know from research by Professor Jenny Baxter from the Australian Institute of Family Studies that improving access to more flexible hours at work is really important to reduce experiences of work-family strain, particularly for single parents. That is particularly important because we know that supports in the community and extended family may also have strong associations with the employment of single parents.
There are a range of other important programs available through the ACT government and other community organisations focusing on single parents that I think it is important to acknowledge. The Marymead child and family centre offers a number of groups, including for parenting as a single mum, parenting after domestic violence and self-care for mums. The national council for single mothers and their children is a self-help group to fight for the basic and essential rights of all sole-parent families. These are great resources for single parents and their families.
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