Community and Family Studies:
Researching a Specific Group
Tayla Leavey
Provide a legal and social definition of the group.
Legal: The term sole parent is used to describe those people who raise children
without a partner. This may occur as a result of separation, divorce or through
the death of a spouse or partner, or it may be out of choice. This parent is often
the custodial parent but can include non custodial parents who have access to
visiting rights.
Social: Sole parents are single mothers or fathers who raise their children
without the help of a partner.
Identify specific characteristics of the group meaning what does
the group look like; is their anything special about this group?
Most commonly in our community, sole parents are young women without a
permanent relationship or partner. This group is a unique entity as they raise
children all by themselves without the help of the other parent. They have
children by themselves, which means they can have financial difficulties. And
need access to more services, including formal and informal support networks.
They rely on the support of others to help them uphold all their responsibilities,
such as work, children and time for themselves.
Describe the specific needs of the group.
Access to services: Sole parents need to be able to access a range of services 24
hours a day, in particular those services related to childcare and parenting
including, parenting support groups and day care. Also as they only have one
income they may require access to financial support services such as Centrelink.
Sole parents may also need access to affordable health care services.
Education: Need education in how to problem solve and manage their own
unique situation. They need education in identifying and accessing a range of
resources. They may need education that can assist them in dealing with an expartner or the introduction of a new partner. Education is also needed for jobs
with a better income.
Employment: Sole parents need to access to a flexible work pattern that
recognizes their parenting obligations and responsibilities. Also need to be
employed to gain an income to provide basic needs for their family.
Financial Support: Sole parents may need financial support from the other parent
of the child (child support). They may also need assistance with everyday living
costs, particularly while their children are small and they may be unable to work.
This can include single parents pension from Centrelink, family tax benefits,
parenting payment, childcare benefit, baby bonus and paid parental leave.
Health: Need access to affordable quality medical care. They need access to
services that recognize and address unique needs of sole parent families when it
comes to healthcare. For example if a sole parent gets sick, they need to also
accommodate for the children’s needs as well as their own. May also need a
health care card from Centrelink to make medications cheaper and other medical
services accessible to sole parents with low incomes.
Housing: Sole parents need access to affordable and appropriate housing that is
safe, well maintained and close to facilities such as schools, banks, medical
services and supermarkets. May have to access community housing or housing
commission temporarily until they save enough money or gain income to afford
rent on another property.
Security and Safety: Sole parents and their families need to feel safe and secure.
They need to be able to live free from threat of verbal or physical abuse or
violence. They must be able to feel comfortable and relax.
Self-esteem: Sole parent families need to be acknowledged and accepted by the
community. Many sole parents have low self-esteem because they struggle to
give their children a basic standard of living and as a result may feel less
personal worth. Often the community sole parents live in view their situation
negatively and this in turn affects their self-esteem.
Sense of identity: Being a sole parent means being stereotyped by society. As a
result, sole parents may not want to access resources because they are
embarrassed or feel intimidated. On the other hand identifying yourself as a sole
parent may entitle you to access services that may not otherwise be available,
thus improving an individual’s quality of life and sense of identity.
Like everyone else in society, your chosen group has the right to
access services to assist them in meeting their needs. However
your group is also entitled to a range of specific services due to
their particular disadvantage. Explain the rights of the group in
regard to the specific services they need.
If sole parents are employed they have the right to paid parental leave, this is a
new entitlement for working parents of children born or adopted from 1 January
2011. Parental Leave Pay is available to working parents who meet the eligibility
criteria. Eligible working parents can get 18 weeks of government funded
Parental Leave Pay at the rate of the National Minimum Wage.
Sole parents can also be entitled to child support. The Child Support act was
designed to ensure that both parents continued to contribute to the financial
support of their children after the relationship break down.
Sole parents may also be socioeconomically disadvantaged and can gain access
to community housing and government housing as they may be unable to afford
to provide their family with safe and secure housing.
They also have the right to child care services, so they can work to provide for
their family and have their child/ren well looked after by professionals.
Explain government policies and regulations that can assist the
group in fulfilling their needs.
Government housing: is housing provided by the government to those who are
unable to afford the rent or mortgage on a place of their own, this can be a
temporary or permanent arrangement to help sole parent families to full fill the
need of safety and security and housing by providing the family with a safe
environment to call home.
Family Tax Benefit A: Family Tax Benefit Part A helps you with the cost of
raising children. Sole parents may be eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part A if they
have: a dependent child aged under 16, or a dependent child aged 16–20 years
who: has completed a Year 12 or equivalent qualification, is undertaking fulltime education or training in an approved course leading to a Year 12 or
equivalent qualification, has an acceptable study load, has been granted an
exemption from this requirement, or a dependent full-time student aged 21–24,
or have care 35% of the time, and income under a certain amount.
Maximum payment amounts
For each child
Per fortnight
Child, 0 - 12, each
$164.64
Child, 13 - 15, each
$214.06
Child, 16 - 19, secondary student, each
$214.06
Child, 16 - 17, completed secondary study, each $52.64
Child, 18 - 20 completed secondary student, each$70.56
Child 21 in full time study
$70.56
(Table from www.centrelink.gov.au )
Family Tax Benefit B: Family Tax Benefit Part B is an extra payment for single
parents and families with one main income to help with the costs of raising
children. Part B is limited to families where the primary earner has an adjusted
taxable income of $150,000 or less per financial year.This financial assistance
can help to provide for the needs of the children when the sole parent does not
earn a sufficient income to provide the basic needs of the family.
Household Assistance Package: The Household Assistance Package starts from
May 2012 with an initial payment, followed by tax cuts in July 2012 and then
ongoing assistance added to regular entitlements from March 2013.
The package includes:
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an initial payment paid automatically to eligible customers
increases to regular payments commencing from March 2013
new tax cuts effective from July 2012
extra assistance, available from July 2012, as well as extra support for
Australians relying on essential medical equipment at home
This also includes Single Income Family Supplement: The Single Income Family
Supplement will be paid to middle income families with one primary earner
whose income is between $68,000 and $150,000. Payments will be available
from 1 July 2013.
These payments will help sole parents in day to day costs, to be able to afford
their household bills and therefore meeting the needs of their family by keeping
the roof over their heads and also providing them with water and other utilities.
Medicare Program: Which looks after the health of Australians through the
efficient delivery of programs such as the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, the
Australian Childhood Immunisation Register and the Australian Organ Donor
Register.
Medicare allows access to:
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
free or subsidised treatment by health professionals such as doctors,
specialists, optometrists, dentists and other allied health practitioners (in
special circumstances only)
free treatment and accommodation as a public (Medicare) patient in a
public hospital
75 per cent of the Medicare Schedule fee for services and procedures if
you are a private patient in a public or private hospital (does not include
hospitalaccommodation and items such as theatre fees and medicines).
Healthcare Cards: A Health Care Card entitles you to cheaper medicines under
the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and various concessions from the
Australian Government—these could include:

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bulk billing for doctor’s appointments (this is your doctor’s decision)
more refunds for medical expenses through the Medicare Safety Net
assistance with hearing services through the Office of Hearing Services
discounted mail redirection through Australia Post.
Rent Assistance: Sole parents are eligible for rent assistance if they have a
dependent child and are receiving more than the base rate for family tax benefits
and if they pay rent other than government housing. This enables sole parents to
be able to provide housing for their family along with being able to fund other
needs with money saved from rent assistance.
Discuss societal attitudes towards the group.
Irresponsible
Immoral
Promiscuous
Societal
Attitudes
Disregard
Children
Self-centred
Depend on
Centrelink
Societal thoughts on the group are as follows; irresponsible, immoral and
promiscuous, disregard their children, self-centered and depend on Centrelink
for financial support.
Societal attitudes include being irresponsible and immoral. It is believed that
because they do not have a partner then they are promiscuous and are incapable
of a stable relationship. Society have the predominant belief that a family
consists of a mother, father and their children and as sole parents do not fit this
description, they are classed as immoral and unable to relay morality onto their
children. This view has been formed through some sole parents having many
different relationships that do not last. This has resulted in a stereotype for the
entire group and negative opinions of sole parents being formed by majority of
society. Although society do not always consider the individual circumstances of
the sole parent for example a single mother may be a widow, not a divorcee. Sole
parents end up being judged and ridiculed by society. These attitudes are
harmful to the group as they are treated differently, not seen as equal to those
parents that are still together. This can be hard for sole parents who have friends
with children that are still married, they may feel disconnected from the
friendship circle at times.
Another societal attitude towards sole parents is that they are self-centered and
disregard their children. It is believed that sole parents dismiss the needs of their
children and put their own needs first. Sole parents having to utilise childcare
services more than other parents, as they need to work so that they can provide
for their family, this may have formed this attitude towards sole parents. It may
be seen as disregarding their children but in perspective it is the parent’s best
effort in providing for their family. These attitudes have contributed to the
dissipated view of sole parents and the negative stereotyping by society. It
creates a negative image of sole parents in society, they feel judged by their
community and inadequate parents in the eyes of society.
Sole parents can also be seen as dependent on the government for financial help
or the social term being ‘Dole Bludgers’. They are seen to not want to better
themselves and too lazy to get a job. This attitude has been formed without
looking deeper into the lives of a sole parent. Sole parents are often unemployed
as they have small children that need constant care and are unable to access
childcare services or just prefer to stay home to raise their child. They require
financial help from centrelink to cater for the needs of the family. Once children
are of school age many sole parents seek flexible employment to better their
financial situation. Not all sole parents are solely dependent on government but
it should be accepted when they seek government help, as there may be only one
income rather than two parents being able to work, financial difficulties are not
uncommon. Societal attitudes are the cause of all negative stereotypes of sole
parents. These attitudes belittle and pass unfair judgment on sole parents.
Explain the main issues of concern for the group
The main concerns for sole parents are the welfare of the children. To ensure
they are adequately cared for, and that their needs are being met to satisfy their
wellbeing. This includes being there for them emotionally but also being able to
provide needs such as food, water, housing, health services and education. For
this to happen they need money, which means employment and financial
support, are issues of concern for sole parents. As they only have one income
supporting their family it can be difficult to satisfy all needs of the family, this is
why they seek aid in terms of finance, childcare, health and housing. This way
they can provide for the needs of the family, whilst still being able to work and
earn an income. Without financial support the family could slip into poverty. But
Government support ensure this does not happen by providing payments to sole
parents, providing them with housing, healthcare cards, Medicare programs and
childcare rebates. This lightens the load for the sole parent and eases the
pressure felt by sole parents to meet requirements of the family.
Identify the main areas of conflict between the group and the
community. Explain the reasons for this conflict. Propose ways
to resolve the conflict.
Various conflicts between sole parents and the community immerge from
societal attitudes towards the group. Including perceptions such as, being unfit
to be a parent and relying on centrelink. Sole parents are often categorised by
the community, which leads to conflict. Sole parents feel as though they should
not have these negative perspectives associated with the role of being a single
parent. This conflict could be resolved if sole parents lost the negative
stereotypes and the community based their judgments of people on the
individual rather than the categorised group. For this to be done society would
need to lose the “cookie-cutter” image of the nuclear family (Mother, Father, two
children) that is presented through the media. This would mean advertisements,
movies and television shows would need to incorporate sole parent families
rather than just the nuclear family. If this was to happen, the idea of a sole parent
family would be more accepted among society and the negative perceptions of
sole parents would lessen, easing the conflict between the community and sole
parents.
Another area of conflict can include access to services. For example lack of
spaces in childcare services for sole parents to enroll their children in. Families
with two parents also utilise childcare services which minimises spaces allocated
for sole parent families to enroll their children. This causes conflict, as sole
parents may need to find other child minding services, this may mean asking
family members, such as grandparents, to look after their children whilst they
work. Sole parents may feel as though they need the spaces in childcare vicinities
more than other two parent families because sole parents may not have many
options in terms of getting their children looked after, as they are the sole
income provider it is not a practical option to leave work to look after their
children whereas other families often have more options rather then just
childcare services. This conflict could be resolved if the government provided
communities with more childcare services or if they made existing facilities
larger to accommodate more children. This conflict may also be resolved if sole
parent families received priority over two parent families, as their situation
would need to be taken into account.
Demonstrate the positive contributions the group makes to the
community.
Sole parents can make positive contributions to society by forming groups for
sole parents, this provides other sole parents within the community with
support and assistance when needed, enabling them to seek advice and guidance
from those in a similar situation. Sole parents also take the time to volunteer at
their children’s school, helping with things such as canteen, P&C and educational
groups within classes. Thus, making a positive contribution to the local
community though school involvement.
Contributions made by sole parents are quite minimal as they have more
concern for the welfare of their children, as they are the sole carer and provider
they have twice the amount of pressure to fulfill multiple roles of the mother and
father. So they have less concern for the community and more for the needs of
their family.
Explain power exhibited by the group and its impact on the
community.
Sole parents hold very little power within the community. What little power they
have is referent power, this power can be described as the power that comes
from the person’s natural being. It might be how they look or act, their charisma
that motivates others to want to be like them. Often a sole parent’s power comes
from their personality. To be a sole parent a person’s personality must be strong,
resilient and robust so that they can survive. This power assists them in doing
what they need to, so that the needs of the family are met. This power enables
them to be able to survive the negative perceptions of the community, the
hardships of providing for a family on their own and being able to fulfill both the
roles of the mother and father. This power has little impact on the community
however it can result in single parent support groups within the community so
that sole parents can get together for extra support if needed. These sole parent
groups give sole parents a voice within the community. Although, the influence
of these groups within the community is quite minimal.
Identify the societal support structures that assist those in your
group.
Type of Support
Structure
Government Agency
Example (Name of
Organisation)
Centrelink
Community Organisation
Childcare Centres e.g
Stepping Stones, St Clair.
Charity Organisation
Salvation Army
Non – Government
Organisation
Sole Parents Union
Example of how it assists
Centrelink provides sole
parents with financial
assistance to ensure they
can afford to fund everyday
necessities such as
household payments.
Long day care services
provide sole parents with
child minding services so
they can work whist they
are confident their
child/ren are being
adequately cared for.
The Salvation Army charity
provide assistance to those
with financial troubles,
family issues, refuge and
accommodation, legal
services and employment
and training. Sole parents
can utilise these services to
assist in meeting their
needs.
Help sole parents with
information about custody,
legal rights, parenting,
behaviour of children and
child support rights. And
any other help single
parents may need. The
union works with
government, media and
others to get better policies
and practices for single
parent families.
Use the following questions to analyse equity issues faced by the
group.
a) Identify some equity issues faced by the group.
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Custody
Child support
Financial support issues (centrelink)
b) Explain why the issues identified are an equity issue.
Custody is an equity issue, as each parent must fight for his or her right to
see their children, some custody arrangements only allow parents to see
their children on the weekends or every fortnight. It can be hard for
parents to agree on custody arrangements when going through a divorce.
In some cases the court may decide that one parent is unfit to see their
children at all, it can be hard to find an arrangement that is fair on both
parents and also the children. Also some unfit parents may come back
into a child’s life and demand custody although this is not the best option,
courts may grant them some form of custody.
Those who have custody are entitled to a child support payment from
the other parent. Sometimes the parent paying child support earns less
than the parent with custody so it is hard for them to pay a sufficient
amount to the other parent. Also sometimes parents can be denied a
sufficient amount of child support because the assessors believe they earn
an adequate income to provide the essentials for the family but the extra
financial support from child support would really help satisfy the needs of
the family.
Financial support can also be an equity issue as not all sole parents are
entitled to centrelink payments. This means not all sole parents are
receiving the adequate financial help in providing for their children.
c) Discuss one of the issues identified above and formulate a
strategy to assist in addressing it.
The Child Support scheme was introduced in Australia in 1988 to try to
ensure that both parents remained responsible for their children even if
they didn't live together. The scheme underwent a major reform in 2006,
with substantial changes being made to the way child support is
calculated and divided between households. The equity issue with the
new changes is splitting the child support so that 24% of the total payable
goes to the non-residential household commencing at an average of only 1
night per week care. Sole parents do not feel as though this reflects how
the actual costs of children are met, which is generally from the
residential household, and will therefore result in greater disadvantage
for children. It is nearly impossible to change the system but to minimise
the problem it is important for sole parents to remember they are paying
the money for the benefit of the children, not directly to the previous
spouse. Many sole parents are reluctant to pay child support because they
do not have a positive relationship with the old spouse and feel as though
they are paying it directly to them. So if the mentality of the sole parent
was to change then the issue of child support would not be as big a
problem. If sole parents knew exactly what their child support money was
being spent on, then that may ease the issue of child support.
d) Outline 2 other strategies that could be used to help satisfy
the needs of the group.
One strategy to assist in financial issues could be to plan a budget. Have a
strict plan of how money is going to be spent. This will ensure sole
parents do not get in debt and they are aware of their finances and what
they can afford. This plan would also help them to save money.
A strategy to help with the issue of custody agreements and paying child
support would be to build a workable relationship with the ex-partner.
This would make sure children see that their parents can get along, easing
their stress, would also ease the stress of the parents as they can be
respectful of each other, teaching their children a positive lesson whilst
also being more productive in caring for the needs of the children which
is the main priority.
e) Using one of these strategies, discuss how it would meet
the specific needs of the group.
Planning a budget including, household payments, child support
payments any other expenses would ensure there is always enough
money to provide for the children. A budget would ensure that financial
needs are met also this would certify that physical needs such as, food,
water and housing, would always be provided. For many sole parents,
being successful in following a budget would raise self esteem as they
would be able to afford little extras to boost their confidence, such as a
night out, and would have less stress, thus enhancing not only economic
wellbeing but also social and emotional.
Bibliography
http://www.soleparentsunion.org.au/ (Last accessed 20/06/12)
http://www.centrelink.gov.au/ (Last accessed 17/06/12)
http://salvos.org.au/ (Last accessed 14/06/12)
http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/ ( Last accessed 12/06/12)
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080822002427AAGjgr5 (Last
accessed 30/05/12)
Excel Senior High School-Community and Family Studies, Study Guide, Jenny
Harrison, Pascal Press.