As soon as the Labor Government took office, single mums began contacting us to ask if anything will change around ParentsNext, and we started nudging the government.
What we discovered was that the providers who are paid to run ParentsNext have been telling government that ParentsNext helps women who are escaping violence. In our view, that is nonsense.
So, we have worked with others to get the government to look at ParentsNext first in its new Workforce Australia review (the old JobActive system). They have agreed and we now have until 30 November to make our submission.
For any interested in following this up, here is the link. If you want to contribute to our submission, email your thoughts to action@csmc.org.au on any of the following:
· Is ParentsNext a good idea and can it be improved?
· What about eligibility and compulsory participation requirements?
· Does it have a positive or negative impact on women’s economic equality and participation in the paid workforce?
· Does it help overcome barriers to accessing family support, education and employment?
· Anything about funding and service delivery arrangements.
