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Most of the programs which assist people with a disability come under the Commonwealth State Disability Agreement (CSDA) of 1991. The Agreement sets out the types of disability support services to be provided or funded and specifies the responsibilities of the federal and state governments. In this article the author outlines the issues likely to be addressed in the lead up to the renewal of the Agreement in 1997 and changes which the Commonwealth government may seek to incorporate in the Agreement.
Burbidge, A. To move or not to move? Some issues facing aged
home owners.
This article looks at the availability of help for aged home owners who want to stay in their homes but are finding it difficult to meet daily living costs. While there are no recent statistics on the numbers involved, anecdotal information suggests that increasing longevity is sometimes combined with a need for extra income to meet repairs and general living expenses. There are three broad strategies for low income owners who would like to access some of the equity in their home, however, they all have drawbacks. The asset rich but income poor can sell their home and buy something cheaper, but this involves costs, namely stamp duty. Another strategy is borrowing against the dwelling to try to generate income which more than meets interest costs. However, there is resistance of lenders who seek a salary sufficient to meet repayments. The third option is reverse equity mortgages, but low income borrowers may have to overcome relatively high up front charges and a shortage of organisations willing to lend.
Cowling, V. Meeting the support needs of families with
dependent children where the parent has a mental illness.
In the past, high risk studies of children of parents with mental illness have clearly established the extent and nature of emotional and behavioural disorders in this group but little has been done to respond to this with direct service provision. Parents are treated by the adult psychiatric system which traditionally does not include a systematic response to the needs of children of that parent, or to the needs of the patient as a parent. Where child abuse and/or neglect is suspected, or occurring, child protection services become involved, a factor which significantly discourages parents from seeking help. Non government welfare agencies are working with increasing numbers of these families, but receive very little in the way of education and training concerning mental illness. This article reports on a research project aimed at exploring and understanding how parents with mental illness and their children could be effectively supported. Parents and professionals believe that effective interventions for children would include support for the parent, information about the effect of mental illness on their parent and their home life, and the presence and support of an adult who can listen to and contain their worries and fears. Parents require support and reassurance in their role as parent, with this provided in a flexible manner according to the fluctuation of their illness. The implications for the future delivery of services to the families is discussed, including the need for collaborative responses among the varied agencies in the health and welfare sector potentially working with these families.
de Vaus, D. Children's responsibilities to elderly
parents.
A great deal of popular discourse assumes that in a post modern age there has been an erosion of commitment of people to the groups to which they belong and that their sense of responsibility for the well being of others has been undermined. In families, it is frequently asserted, members are more concerned about their own well being than that of other family members and this is seen in many areas of family life including feelings of responsibility for members of one's extended family. At the same time, the general direction of government policies in many western countries is to assume that, with some support for governments, family members will be available and willing to care for family members who need it. The emphasis on community care for the aged frequently relies on other family members providing care for older family members. Using data from The Australian Family Values Survey (1995), The Australian Family Life Course Study (1996) and the Later Life Families Study (1996), conducted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies this paper examines the values and expectations of representative samples of Australian adults about the responsibility of children to provide care and support for elderly parents and will enable an assessment of the extent to which policy directions are built on a solid normative base within the Australian community. It also examines the norms and expectations across the generations to test the proposition that there is an emerging generation gap regarding filial responsibilities.
Easteal, P. Double jeopardy: violence against immigrant
women in the home.
Given the covert nature of violence against women, and the possibly of even greater secrecy within migrant communities, it is not surprising that there has been little empirical evidence gathered to substantiate these concerns. The research reported here was conducted in order to shed more light on this important subject. Information was gathered both from survivors of domestic violence and a variety of practitioners in contact with them. Two surveys were used to obtain the backgrounds and experiences of almost 800 victims, including overseas born and Australian born women. Survivors and practitioners have conveyed a picture of the special issues and experiences that immigrant women may encounter which doubly jeopardise their right to a life safe from violence. Their isolation emerges as the key to understanding a great deal about what distinguishes their victimisation.
Funder, K; Smyth, B. Family law reforms and attitudes to
parental responsibility.
Although parental responsibilities are at the heart of reforms to Part VII of the Family Law Act, very little is known about what Australians, and particularly divorced parents who are directly affected by the law, think parents should do for their children. Even less is known about public opinion on the responsibilities of parents who are separated or divorce, live in a de facto relationship, or have never lived together. In this article, the authors provide background information to the Family Law Reform Act and outline the objectives and principles of Part VII of the Act. The article is based on the authors' publication entitled, 'Evaluation of the Impact of Part VII of the Family Law Reform Act 1995: public attitudes to parental responsibilities and children's rights after parental separation', in which they report on a national survey that sheds light on what Australian's think about parental responsibilities.
Kielland, A. Childwatch International: towards a
consolidated international network for child research.
Childwatch International was formed in 1992 in Norway. It has concentrated its work on identifying needs for international research collaboration and information exchange on children's issues, and finding adequate ways of responding to those needs. Another objective has been to initiate and coordinate international research and information projects on children's living conditions and the implementation of children's rights. This article reports on a meeting held by the directors of Childwatch International key institutions within the field of child research to define further lines of collaboration among the institutions of the network and to promote the results from child research.
In his report the author examines different principles involved in parent education. He discusses two opposing concepts: parenting without parenthood, by which he means the attempt to attribute child outcomes to the responsibility of parents, without regard to social and economic circumstances or to the value and status which society attaches to the parenting role; and parenthood without parenting, by which he refers to the analysis of child maltreatment, juvenile crime and similar problems in terms of the pressures which poverty, unemployment, poor housing, racial discrimination and ill health create for parents. The author states that a full understanding of the processes and outcomes of rearing children in contemporary society requires that consideration be given both to parenting and parenthood. It is an inclusive approach to understanding family and child development, where there is no one model for successfully rearing children but a wide variety of modes and models. He notes the need for research to inform understanding of the ways in which individual, social and economic factors combine to influence how children are being looked after in families and to provide the basis for an approach to identify the needs of parents who are not coping successfully with child rearing and need more support.
Sandor, D. News from the Family Court.
In this article the author reports on a new Family Court decision which qualifies the protection that State and Territory legislation may give to material gathered in child abuse cases. As a follow up to his article in the previous edition of Family Matters, he also provides an update on the first High Court case concerning the Child Abduction Convention.
Watson, E A; Mears, J. Stretched lives: working in paid
employment and caring for elderly relatives.
This paper is based on a qualitative study of forty women who were working full time and carrying a major responsibility for care of an elderly relative. The authors examine the particular problems that the women experienced in attempting to juggle the demands of these two major areas of their lives (along with responsibilities for children and the commitment to other relationships). The authors also explore the implications for the workplace of the findings of this particular study. They highlight the need for provisions and adjustments in workplaces that acknowledge the caring responsibilities of workers and confer legitimacy upon the requests for minor consideration which these participants at times had to make. There is evidence of the need for re incorporating the skills that women such as these have developed in managing their complex and demanding lives. Finally, the authors examine the implications for the careers and future working lives of these women and for their financial security in the immediate future and in the longer term into their own retirement and old age.
Weston, R. English language skills and parents'
wellbeing.
Access to information is a vital stepping stone in the process of managing everyday affairs. With the enormous expansion of information which can now be received through technological advancements, there is a growing concern that certain sectors of society will be left behind. Of particular concern are those who do not speak the local language, and their families. How do they fare in terms of socio economic status and personal well being. The study reported in this article seeks to assess implications of English language skills for those with non English speaking background. Specifically attention is directed to socio economic patterns and to health and sense of well being. The analysis is based on data from the Australian Living Standards Study undertaken by the Australian Institute of Family Studies.
Winter, I; Bryson, L. The poverty of housing policy: Newtown
1966 and 1991.
In this third article from the Newtown Revisited Project,
the authors examine how the outcomes of housing policy decisions between 1966 and 1991
have impacted on the lives of Newtown families. Two key trends are found to have
characterised housing policy throughout this period, promotion of the growth of home
ownership and a gradual withdrawal of support for the public rental sector. These policy
trends, in conjunction with a changed economic and financial environment, especially after
1986, are demonstrated to have delivered many of Newtown's families into inappropriate and
unaffordable housing.
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