Focus on renters
Council of Single Mothers and their Children (CSMC) Blog
by CSMC Coms
2d ago
At the moment, housing is dominating so many discussions in the media, in Parliament, and around water coolers and school gates across the country. The fact is, though, CSMC has long advocated for single mother families in a number of housing related areas, most notably, renters’ rights and purchasing conditions. With rental affordability and availability at crisis point, our work in this area is stepping up. Here’s a snapshot of the work we are doing for single mother families in rental accommodation, and how you can contribute. Firstly, a win! The Victorian Government has announced a taskfor ..read more
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Outdated & broken: the truth about Australia’s child support system
Council of Single Mothers and their Children (CSMC) Blog
by CSMC Coms
2d ago
It’s outdated, hopelessly flawed, and it has not kept pace with inflation. Now, the Federal Government is currently reviewing the country’s child support system, and as many single mothers will attest, there’s a lot that needs to be changed. Fixing the broken child support system has been a campaign that CSMC has been fighting for longer than most of us can remember. To begin with, the method of calculation, is ridiculously outdated, not taking into account things like the cost of childcare, laptops and school uniforms, and medical expenses. And with 84 per cent of people who pay child support ..read more
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Single Mother Wall of Honour 2024
Council of Single Mothers and their Children (CSMC) Blog
by CSMC Coms
6d ago
We’re celebrating International Single Parents day by launching our Wall of Honour to pay tribute to all the amazing single mothers we know and have known! Congratulations to all the mums who have been nominated – you can read the tributes, in alphabetical order, below. There’s a lot of love and inspiration on this wall! Know a single mother who deserves to be on the Single Mother Wall of Honour? It’s not too late to nominate a deserving single mum – check out the details here. The Wall will be here until Mothers Day 2024, and we’ll add tributes as they come in. CSMC Single Mother Wall of Hono ..read more
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“That will have to change.” Remembering Brenda Richards
Council of Single Mothers and their Children (CSMC) Blog
by CSMC Coms
1w ago
On Sunday 3 March, Brenda Richards, one of CSMC’s founding members and inaugural Treasurer, died at the age of 85. Brenda’s work in the late 1960s campaigning for the rights of ‘unwed mothers’ and their children set the course for a remarkable life of public service that changed the way government and the community viewed and treated women and families. Brenda met fellow CSMC founder Rosemary West at the unmarried mothers branch of Parents Without Partners (PWP), and it soon became apparent to both women that their goals were quite different to those of PWP. Their focus wasn’t on re-partnering ..read more
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CSMC Single Mother Wall of Honour
Council of Single Mothers and their Children (CSMC) Blog
by CSMC Coms
2w ago
Thursday March 21 is International Single Parents Day, and to celebrate, we’re creating out own Wall of Honour, to pay tribute to all the amazing single mothers we know, and have known. It might be a friend, a relative, or even your own mum – but if you want to thank and honour a special single mother, now’s your chance! Simply fill out the form below, telling us all about why the single mum you’re nominating deserves to be on our Wall of Honour. It might be something incredible she does; it could simply be that she get’s up and gets the job done every day. Tell us about her! Every single moth ..read more
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The workplace landscape post-Covid
Council of Single Mothers and their Children (CSMC) Blog
by CSMC Coms
1M ago
Before COVID, one of the biggest employment issues for single mothers was their need for flexible work conditions, including: Part-time work with promotional opportunities Permanent part-time roles within school hours or the ability to job-share The ability to work from home if need be and Additional sick leave to cover care for sick children. Along came COVID-19 and with it, the widespread acceptance of working from home. This now dominates most discussions about flexibility with other variations single mothers want, still less accepted than we would like. Working from home (WFH)Requirement ..read more
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Where do I start? 
Council of Single Mothers and their Children (CSMC) Blog
by CSMC Coms
1M ago
You might have some idea about what you want your career to look like; you might have none at all. You might have a firm career aspiration but wonder if it would be right for you. If you’re thinking about work, a career change, or undertaking study, but are unsure about what career would suit and fulfil you, here’s some tips for getting started.  Identity your interests  Sometimes the easiest place to start is by becoming curious! Ask yourself:  What do I love doing?   What feels good and energises me?   What drains me?   What tasks or activities c ..read more
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Is the deficit discourse finally shifting? Sole mothers, social stigma, and policy possibilities
Council of Single Mothers and their Children (CSMC) Blog
by CSMC
1M ago
By Emily Wolfinger, PhD After decades of advocacy by sole mother groups, on 20 September 2023, the Australian Labor Government finally reversed the Liberal Howard Government’s welfare reforms that required sole mothers to be looking for employment by the time their youngest child turned just six years. This reversal also followed the release of a report by Professor Anne Summers, which showed a clear link between sole motherhood, domestic abuse, and poverty. According to this report, which is based on national census data, more than half of Australian sole mothers have been in an abusive relat ..read more
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CSMC’s report on largest survey of single mothers
Council of Single Mothers and their Children (CSMC) Blog
by CSMC Coms
1M ago
Download the full report Download a condensed version of the report Despite being employed at equivalent levels to partnered mothers, over a thousand single mothers recently surveyed by CSMC report that they are struggling to get ahead financially. This is one of the strongest findings of the second CSMC national survey. The report, “Navigating Turbulence” has now been released. The report surveyed 1168 single mums from around Australia on questions about housing, income levels, employment status, education, family violence, family law, and the impacts of COVID. The data from the survey, th ..read more
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State of the working single mother
Council of Single Mothers and their Children (CSMC) Blog
by CSMC Coms
1M ago
It’s called the HILDA (Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia) survey, and is considered one of Australia’s most valuable social research tools. The 2024 data has just dropped, revealing significant changes in the way women in Australia work. HILDA first examined the lives of 14,000 Australians in 2001 and releases data yearly, comparing it to the 2001 data and painting a picture about how Australian life is changing. The latest HILDA data reveals that the proportion of women aged 18 to 64 in paid employment has climbed from 64.3 per cent in 2001 to 76 per cent. While the HILDA dat ..read more
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