Extra support for parents moving into work

The Australian Government is investing $5.7 million in family and children’s support services to help parents who will start looking for work from 1 January next year as part of changes to Parenting Payment.

The Minister for Families and Community Services, Jenny Macklin, and the Minister for Community Services, Julie Collins, today announced that 42 Communities for Children services across Australia will receive this funding to help up to 22,000 parents and their children affected by the changes to Parenting Payment.

Communities for Children services provide prevention and early intervention activities to families with children up to 12 years in disadvantaged communities throughout Australia. With this additional funding these services will be able to provide families with peer support groups, coaching for job interviews, self-esteem counselling, referrals to housing and job services to stabilise the family situation

“The Government believes having a job is the best thing for parents and children. It provides stability for families, gives parents a sense of pride and purpose and provides a secure income to help balance the family budget,” Ms Macklin said.

“Of course we understand that entering the workforce after having many years off can be challenging – especially when you’ve got children. That’s why these local services will be an important hub for families as they make the transition from income support to getting a job.

“Parents will be able to get support such as coaching for job interviews, while their children are being looked after.”

This additional funding is on top of $136.7 million we’re delivered to 52 Communities for Children Services across Australia including $16.3 million for new and expanded services in 10 disadvantaged communities to support teenage parents and jobless families.

“Communities for Children brings together services to help vulnerable Australian families find their way out of disadvantage,” Ms Collins said.

“Research[1] has shown parents living in regions supported by Communities for Children felt more confident in their parenting skills, get involved more with their children and their community and children are less likely to live in jobless families.”

The Gillard Government is also investing an extra $225.1 million over four years in the Jobs, Education and Training Child Care Fee Assistance (JETCCFA) program to help parents receive the training and skill they need to enter or return to the workforce.

This investment is delivering assistance to 130,000 parents across the country to join the workforce and is providing greater access to quality early childhood education and care.

The JETCCFA program is now supporting record numbers of Australian parents, particularly single mums, to enter the workforce, some for the very first time.

The grandfathering provisions for Parenting Payment recipients who have been receiving payment since before July 2006 will no longer apply from 1 January 2013.

Services receiving funding: