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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Luke Henriques-Gomes Social affairs and inequality editor

Single mother says she had to miss paid work to attend ParentsNext appointment

Woman carrying a young child looking out of window
A single mother in the ParentsNext scheme says it is ‘beyond frustrating’ to have to take time off work to attend appointments with her provider. Photograph: Kaan Sezer/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Single mothers have told of having to miss paid work to attend a ParentsNext appointment or being encouraged to sign up to unnecessary training by providers running the federal government’s $110m-a-year program.

The scheme, part of Australia’s sprawling outsourced billion-dollar welfare-to-work system, pays companies and charities to provide guidance and support to single parents on benefits whose children are aged between nine months and five years old.

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