Meet our Resident Organisations: Council for Single Mothers and their Children

Tell us about what your organisation does?

Council of Single Mothers and their Children is a non-profit organisation that provides specialist support services for single mother families and advocates on their behalf. CSMC offers information, support and referrals on issues such as parenting solo, government benefits, child support, housing, family violence, managing money, and work and study.

Our advocacy focuses on poverty, social security, child support, family law and housing and is informed by our 4500 single mother members.

Pictured: Jenny Davidson, CEO, Council Single Mothers and their Children

How do your organisation’s values align with a Women’s Centre & what do you enjoy about working within QVWC?                                                                                             

CSMC was founded in 1969 by single mothers to secure a better life for women parenting alone and their children. We are a feminist organisation that works from an intersectional perspective to support single mothers to overcome the structural barriers they face in creating a safe and secure life and future for themselves and their children. We strongly align with the work and the values of the other organisations in QCWC. And we love popping into the QVWC Shop!

What are your priorities over the next 12months?

Our Strategic Plan 2021-2024 maps out pathways to our overarching goals of reaching 10,000 families a year by 2024. We continue to work towards a society that values single mothers for their contribution to their children and the community; treats them with respect and dignity; ensures their financially security with access to choices that complement their family life, including employment and education; and provides affordable and appropriate housing.

In our first year of this strategic plan, we are focused on reaching more diverse single mothers and ensuring that single mother families are able to overcome the continuing challenges of COVID-19 and are not left behind as the economy recovers.

What do you see as the biggest issue facing women, non-binary & gender diverse people right now?

Continued economic disadvantage, including unequal carriage of unpaid care responsibilities (which is often exacerbated for single mothers with shared care or full custody).

And the ongoing lack of safety that women encounter in their homes, workplaces and the broader community.

Interview: Natalie Forde