For Sandra*, it all started with a conversation at her local preschool. She was chatting with her local Member of Parliament about the lack of services for single mothers when he suggested she contact Council of Single Mothers and their Children.
“I’d never heard of CSMC,” Sandra recalls.
Fifteen years later, she says that one recommendation changed her life.
“When I look back, it feels like CSMC has played such an important role in my experience of being a single mother when the kids were little, and in my life as a woman now they’re grown.”
At first, Sandra was simply looking to connect with other single mums who understood her experiences. Over the years, though, CSMC became much more than that. Whenever she needed information, advice or reassurance, she knew there was someone at the end of the phone.
“I’ve called the Support Line whenever I needed advice or support,” she says. “With CSMC on my side, I don’t feel alone.”
For Dani*, making that first call couldn’t have come at a more critical time.
She was facing eviction, escaping family violence, and raising two children with complex mental health needs. Everything felt overwhelming, and she had no idea where to begin.
The Support Worker who answered listened without judgement. Together, they worked through what needed attention first. Dani was referred to specialist family violence and housing services, and CSMC was able to provide emergency grocery relief while she got back on her feet.
Years passed before we heard from Dani again.
One day, a handwritten letter arrived. Her family was safe, wrote Dani. She had a job she enjoyed, a rental they loved, and her children were thriving at school. Enclosed with the letter was a $10 note.
CSMC had helped her through one of the hardest times in her life, she wrote. Now she wanted to help another single mother.
Stories like Sandra’s and Dani’s remind us that no two calls to the Support Line are ever the same.
Some women are in crisis and need immediate support. Others have a question about Centrelink, housing or study. Some are feeling isolated and simply need someone who understands what life is like as a single mum.
Whatever brings someone to the phone, our message is always the same: you don’t have to face it alone.
For many women, that first conversation is just the beginning. Some go on to join our Stronger Together Facebook community, where they find friendship, encouragement and practical advice from other single mothers. Others become passionate advocates for change, sharing their stories, signing petitions, volunteering, or helping us campaign for a fairer Australia for single mother families.
Other mothers find reading our newsletter when they can or calling our Support Line when they need it to be all the engagement they want, need or have time for.
As Sandra says, “It’s the sense of community. I’ve protested with hand-painted placards, signed petitions, read resources on the website, called the Support Line when I needed advice, and stayed connected through Stronger Together. It reminds me there are thousands of women who understand what this journey is like.”
Whether you need practical advice, support, or simply someone to listen, our Support Line is here for you. You don’t have to be in crisis. You just have to take that first step.
Because sometimes, one phone call really can change everything.
There are a few different ways to contact the CSMC Support Line, and you can find them here.
*Names and identifying information have been changed to protect safety and privacy.
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