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Single Mother Breaking News

September 03 2010 - Rent rises making single mothers homeless
Herald Sun | Money Matters

More single mums turning up at shelters - They are unable to meet rising rent costs - Women make up 44 per cent of homeless. Increasing numbers of single women over 45 are turning up at homeless shelters, unable to meet the cost of rising rents. Women make up 44 per cent of the nation's 105,000 homeless people, and many of them are mothers with young children. more...

September 01 2010 - Domestic violence: Australia's silent victims
ABC | The Drum Unleashed

Tony Abbott's recent announcement that he would crack down on gang warfare and knife crime if the Coalition wins the election reinforces the common perception that the worst danger of physical violence lurks down dark streets or in parks. But the fact is, for most of us the horror exists within our homes, or with the people already in our lives. Of the women killed each year, 60 per cent are at the hands of partners or ex-partners, and 12 per cent by family members more...

August 30, 2010 - Is spending the night a big deal?
Sydney Morning Herald | Life & Style

What's the big deal about "spending the night"? Well, plenty. To be honest, I'm sick to death of men assuming that just because they've paid for your dinner, told you they like your hair and offered to take you to Mexico, you will go back to their place … that night. "Just to talk," they'll tell you. "Just to cuddle," they'll beseech. "Just to tickle your back." Bollocks more...

August 29, 2010 - Frankston single mums give Liberal a hiding
Green Left

Liberal member for Dunkley, Bruce Billson, has been left fighting for his political life after the recent federal election. The Council of Single Mothers and their Children (CSMC) Action Group targeted his electorate during the election campaign. CSMC Action Group concentrated its efforts on outer suburban working-class seats in Melbourne with the highest percentage of single mother headed families. The first was Dunkley, based around Frankston, with 19.3% of households headed by single mothers, the 16th highest percentage of single mother households nationally; and the second was Lalor in Melbourne's outer west, where 18% of households are headed by single mothers, the 31st highest concentration of single mothers in Australia more...

August 29, 2010 - Work win for victims of domestic violence
Sydney Morning Herald

Victims of domestic violence will get an extra 20 days of paid leave a year as part of a historic clause in an enterprise agreement. In a first for Australian workplaces, the Public Service Association of NSW has been negotiating with the University of NSW to allow its workers to take special leave to attend court, counselling or a doctor more...

August 28, 2010 - Mothers find relief in equal custody deals
Sydney Morning Herald

CHILDREN who spend roughly equal time with both parents after a divorce or separation are doing well, though no better or worse than children who spend most time with their mothers, a study shows more...

August 27, 2010 - Shared care laws damaging many children
Sydney Morning Herald

Relationship breakdown affects many Australian families. About 40 per cent of marriages end in divorce and the rate of de facto relationship breakdown is higher. The family law system has a more direct and personal impact on our lives than most other areas of law. Yet in the lead-up to the election, we heard almost nothing about family law reform. In the meantime, the Howard government's 2006 shared parenting changes to the Family Law Act continue to damage a significant minority of children more...

August 26, 2010 - Fathers 'stereotyped' by Child Support Agency
Sydney Morning Herald

THE government watchdog responsible for overseeing child support payments has been unfairly focusing on parents who do not pay enough while ignoring those who are getting too much, the Commonwealth Ombudsman says. In a report that might not be well received by some single mothers, the acting Ombudsman, Ron Brent, found that the Child Support Agency had at times been unduly influenced by stereotypes about fathers not meeting their obligations more...

August 23, 2010 - The men from Uncle making a difference in boys' lives
The Brisbane Times

A mentoring project for boys with absent fathers is struggling to stay afloat, writes Saffron Howden more...

August 20, 2010 - Call for baby safe havens
Sydney Morning Herald

The dumping of a dead newborn girl in a shoe box in Sydney has prompted calls for "baby safe haven" facilities across Australia more...

August 20, 2010 - Federal Election 2010 - A Single Mother's Guide
SingleMum.com.au

It's Federal Election time, and there are just so many issues that need to be addressed for single mums. The big questions is which party is going to improve the lot of single mothers? It's hard to know who to vote for. The Council of Single Mothers and their Children's (CSMC), those tireless fighters for single mothers interests, have solved the problem by sending a questionnaire to each of the major political parties - Labor, Coalition (Liberal,Nationals) and the Greens. The last response has arrived just in time for the Federal Election and SingleMum has put together a brief summary of the answers more...

August 15, 2010 - The genes are out of the bottle and on the web
Sydney Morning Herald

FINDING out if your partner has cheated has never been easier or cheaper. DNA testing, once confined to science fiction then to forensic and research laboratories, can now cost as little as $295 and is so common it's even featured in an episode of an Australian TV soapie. Thousands of Australians are buying DNA paternity and infidelity tests online on the promise they can find whether someone is cheating by testing everything from a strand of hair to stained underpants. more...

August 14, 2010 - Pendulum swings back to younger mothers
Sydney Morning Herald

More young women are having children in their 20s, reversing a decline that has been evident for nearly 40 years. The surprise increase in births for women aged 20-24 and 25-29 began in 2006 and was sustained through 2008, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed. more...

August 12, 2010 - Labor to hit deadbeat dads for child support
The Australian

Julia Gillard will target deadbeat dads who do not lodge tax returns and avoid paying child support more...

August 11, 2010 - Compulsory checks for welfare kids
Sydney Morning Herald

A re-elected Labor government will make welfare payments for parents conditional on their children undergoing compulsory health checks, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has announced more...

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Single Mother Parenting & Feature Articles

Why do we cry when our kids start school?

Ever since she entered her last year of preschool, I've been an emotional mess every time I think of her starting 'big school'. For a while, I had to take detours to avoid driving past her future primary school to stop me getting dangerously bleary-eyed behind the wheel.

As we progressed through 2009 and came closer to the end of her preschool years, things got worse more

How Can I help my Child Through a Trauma

The following questions have come from concerned parents. We thank Liz Mullinar for taking the time to respond and assist us with providing this information.
Q I have been forced by the court to hand my child over for access visits with my ex who is sexually / physically abusing her. How can I minimize or counter her distress more

Loving Beautiful You - An article for Single Mothers

In today's world of the perfect size and the perfect hair and high fashion, it can be difficult to accept yourself and take pride in the beautifully unique creation you are. However, as single mothers, or even single women more

Single Mother On A Budget

...As a single mother you might groan at the thought of putting together a household budget with all your expenses, but its easy to do and will also help you become very financially organized more

Keeping the Stress out of Single Parenting

...Let Your Kids be Kids. Even though taking on Single Parenting has sometimes forced you to become serious and lacking laughter, remember those precious children never asked to be in this situation. Don't force them to grow up any faster and deal with the Single Parent Issues more

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Great parenting quotes

Parenthood: That state of being better chaperoned than you were before marriage
~ Marcelene Cox

See more parenting quotes