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Single Mother Crisis Support Directory


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Dial 000 from anywhere in Australia in case of emergency to be put through to the Police, Ambulance and Fire Brigade
Police WILL respond to Domestic Violence - if you and/or your children are under threat call them!


Complete Charity listings - please go to the Single Mother Charities page here





National - 1800 RESPECT
1800 RESPECT is a confidential telephone counselling service for Australians who have experienced or are at risk of physical or sexual violence. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week over the phone. Australians can access the line by calling 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). 1800 RESPECT will give callers access to qualified and specialist counsellors who will provide counselling, information, advice, and referrals, free of charge
Lifeline
Lifeline's 13 11 14 service is staffed by trained volunteer telephone counsellors who are ready to take calls 24-hour a day, any day of the week from anywhere in Australia
http://www.lifeline.org.au


Beyond Blue
The national depression website. beyondblue info line 1300 22 4636. For the cost of a local call, the beyondblue info line provides callers with access to information and referral to relevant services for depression and anxiety related matters
http://www.beyondblue.org.au


The Salvation Army Crisis Support
Emergency relief, material aid, advocacy, referral and support to people in personal and financial crisis. Assistance to people in need at Christmas. Applications are available from November 1st each year. Comprehensive State contact list for The Salvation Army Crisis Support
http://www.salvationarmy.org.au

Family Relationship Advice Line (Australian Government Innitiative)
The Family Relationship Advice Line is a national telephone service established to assist families affected by relationship or separation issues. The Advice Line provides information on family relationship issues and advice on parenting arrangements after separation. It can also refer callers to local services that can provide assistance
The Family Relationship Advice Line (1800 050 321) is available from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Friday, and 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday (local time), except national public holidays
http://www.ag.gov.au/


Parentline
Free professional help 24/7. Parents and carers of children up to 18 years of age can call Parent Line to discuss almost any parenting issue. Parentline call example: "My husband and I recently separated. Since the separation my son’s grades have plummeted and he seems withdrawn. He always seems worse after spending time with his father on the weekend. What can I do?”
Go to the Parentline National Directory


State Governement Websites for Victims of Crime (inc Domestic Violence)
The Victims of Crime Advice and Information State Government websites provides practical information for victims of crime and service providers assisting victims
Victims of Crime State-by-State Links


Victim Support Australasia
This website aims to give you simple but comprehensive information about crime, its impact and sources of support and advice. Comprehensive State Help Lines listing
http://www.victimsupport.org.au


The Victims of Crime Assistance League Inc NSW (VOCAL)
Provides a comprehensive range of services for people who have suffered as a result of a crime of violence and need help dealing with the effects of crime. Services are available to everyone, regardless of whether or not the crime has been reported and when it happened
http://vocal.org.au


Kids Helpline for Kids
Kids Helpline is a free 24 hour counselling service for Australian kids and young people aged 5-25 years. You can get help over the phone, email or web. Call 1800 55 1800 anytime for any reason. For kids:
www.kidshelp.com.au/kids/
Kids Helpline for Teens
Kids Helpline is a free 24 hour counselling service for Australian kids and young people aged 5-25 years. You can get help over the phone, email or web. Call 1800 55 1800 anytime for any reason. For teens:
www.kidshelp.com.au/teens/

Emergency Financial Support (see also Financial Support)


Go to Centrelink
Centrelink - Emergency Assistance - Social Work Services
Centrelink Social Workers help with claims for payments from Centrelink, and can help people in financial crisis who may lose accommodation or essential services. They can provide help with counselling, information and a variety of other services available in the community
http://www.centrelink.gov.au


Go to Centrelink
Centrelink - Emergency Assistance - Crisis Payment
Crisis Payment helps you if you are in severe financial hardship because you have experienced an extreme circumstance such as domestic violence. For full details of how Centrelink can help domestic violence victims, please view this brochure: Help for peopole experiencing domestic and family violence [PDF, 666K]
http://www.centrelink.gov.au


Go to Centrelink
Centrelink - Parenting Payment Advance Payment
A lump sum Advance Payment of between $250 and $500 of your Social Security payment may be available if you need some money to help pay your expenses.
Note: You have to pay your Advance Payment back to Centrelink. It is not an extra payment.
http://www.centrelink.gov.au


Go to Centrelink
Centrelink - Special Benefit
Special Benefit helps you if you are in severe financial need due to circumstances outside your control and you cannot receive any other Centrelink pension or benefit

You may get Special Benefit if you:

are in severe financial hardship, and
are not able to earn enough income to support yourself and your dependants for reasons outside your control, and
cannot get any other payment from Centrelink, and
meet residence requirements.

Hardship information

This factsheet provides information about when hardship provisions may apply
Hardship Information Factsheet
http://www.centrelink.gov.au






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What does it mean to be a single mum?Of course, the

kids

are the most important thing in a single mum's life. Kids are the focus and always have been. But along with the children, there are other matters that can confuse a single mum's life.

Centrelink

plays a big part of a single mother's life, mainly because this is where a large percentage of single mums get their finances from. Centrelink are the source from where the

single mother pension

, or as it is otherwise known, the single parent payment comes from. The single mother pension is a subsistence amount, but just the same, it is money to live on, and so it is important, no matter if it is called single parent payment, single mother pension or whatever Centrelink welfare classes it at the time

Often, single mums come out of a

divorce

or defacto relationship only to find that their troubles have just begun, and find that their first step leads them towards Family Law - it's time to engage a lawyer.
There are more than just Centrelink finance problems to worry about, as mentioned before, but also

child custody

issues. Child custody is something that hits right at the heart of

single mums

. If a single mother's ex husband or ex partner has been a domestic violence perpetrator, the mum may be greatly worried about child custody. They worry that their kids won't be safe with their spouse, who has already proven to be abusive because they caused

domestic violence

, which resulted in a divorce or separation.

Even so,

Family Court

will often still order a form of child custody named

Shared Parenting

. Shared Parenting is a form of child custody division of time or parental responsibility between the parents. Mother's often look for a good divorce lawyer to try to avoid share parenting with an abusive ex-spouse after divorce, however in many cases Shared Parenting is still the outcome after the divorce, no matter how good the divorce lawyers have been. They will often settle for visitation at a contact centre or access centre where fathers or mothers are supervised during child custody access.

Please remember the bigger font words,because we will use it often in our website.