Sole Parent Support : Contents
Purpose of the meeting
The purpose of the family meeting is to find out:
- if a breakdown in the child's family has taken place. This can be found out by asking about the parents' financial and housing situation, or if they have any disabilities (the parents are not expected to provide proof of their financial circumstances)
- whether the parents are able but unwilling to provide full support for the child
- why (due to the breakdown) the child's natural, adoptive or step parent is unable to provide fully for the child
- the period the parent(s) are unable to provide fully for the child
- how long the caregiver is likely to have the child in their care
- what the caregiver's responsibilities are
Note that the meeting is not the time to discuss the best place for the child, resolve family problems or resolve care and protection concerns.
Information MSD should give at the meeting
- provide the parents and caregiver with the opportunity to consider the information that is given to them in the meeting and decide whether to continue with the application
- explain the alternative to including the child as a dependent child for benefit purposes, (i.e. if they choose to apply for Unsupported Child’s Benefit for that child). This may mean the parents are required to pay Child Support through Inland Revenue
- explain that under family law, the parents keep the legal right to make decisions about their child and the caregiver has the day-to-day care of the child
Care and protection concerns
When considering the above bullet points and whether a family breakdown has occurred it is important to consider any possible care and protection concerns for a child or young person.
If MSD believes any child has been, or is likely to be harmed (physically, emotionally or sexually), ill-treated, abused, neglected, deprived or MSD has concerns about the wellbeing of the child, the case must be referred to Oranga Tamariki.
