Media Release: Qualified support for government's trial proposal for teen mums

Mission Australia has offered its qualified support to the Federal Government’s trial proposal aimed at engaging teenage mothers in education and training and avoiding welfare dependency.

Mission Australia – one of the largest providers of community and employment services to disadvantaged individuals and families in the country – said it strongly supported the concept of providing young parents with skills and education for future employability but that its compulsory nature, including the impact of withdrawing parenting payment from those who refused to participate, would need to be closely monitored.

Mission Australia’s CEO, Toby Hall, said at first glance the government’s proposal for a pilot scheme in 10 disadvantaged areas around the country deserved to be supported.

“Getting in early and making sure teenage mums are kept in touch with education and training to avoid entrenched welfare dependency in later life should be warmly welcomed,” said Mr Hall.

“We know from our experience how difficult it is help sole parents – or anyone – into work when they have no skills and when they’ve been disengaged from the workforce for years.

“And it’s not just the ‘hard’ skills that are needed for particular industries. It’s the ‘soft’ skills – the ins and outs of participating in the workforce: turning up for work on time, being responsible for your actions, dressing appropriately – that you and I might take for granted and which the young people participating in the program will need help with.

“However, there’s no question that the best results are achieved from programs like this when people participate voluntarily. We run several similar initiatives to those proposed – and have done so for many years – and they’re successful because people want to be there.

“Compulsory participation, by its very nature, fails to promote personal responsibility among those taking part and that’s the crucial part of changing behaviour long-term.

“The support provided for teen mums engaged in the program will also need to be much more than just a Centrelink ‘participation plan’ as described in media reports.

“We don’t have a lot of faith in Centrelink’s ability to understand and appreciate the complex issues around the young people who might be in this situation. We’d expect there to be a range of other supports available – including parenting and living skills – if the trial is to be a success.

“We’re also waiting to see what the government is suggesting for those parents who do have their income suspended. We’d be alarmed if they – and particularly their children – were made more vulnerable or placed in any danger as a result of a withdrawal of income support.

“But on balance Mission Australia is inclined to support this proposal. Practical programs like this are what’s needed to break the back of welfare dependency,” said Mr Hall.

Toby Hall is available for comment

Media inquiries: Paul Andrews 0409 665 495 or (02) 9219 2080