Sole parenting in New Zealand
The Ministry of Social Development led a cross-agency and cross-sector research programme that looked at changes in the rate of sole parenthood, sole parent employment and poverty, and at sole parents’ mental health and criminal victimisation.
It has also offered insights into approaches that help based on interviews with a group of young women who parented in their teens.
The experiences of these young women emphasise the importance of a supportive family and community, and of comprehensive early intervention services that address multiple and often complex needs for mothers and children. Some of the findings from this research are presented in the following reports.
Produced by: Centre for Social Research and Evaluation - Ministry of Social Development
Sole parenting in New Zealand: An update on key trends and what helps reduce disadvantage
This is a summary report bringing together new findings on changes in the rate of sole parenthood, sole parent employment, poverty, and mental health. It offers insights into approaches that help reduce disadvantage and build resilience based on interviews with a small group of young parents and evidence on the effectiveness of different interventions.
Resilience in teenage mothers: a follow-up study
This study has detailed findings from the interviews with young parents.
Lifecourse factors associated with time spent receiving main benefits in young adulthood
This report examines associations between the benefit experiences of participants in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study and measures of their early life experiences, their transition to adulthood (including early parenthood), and their outcomes in other areas of life at age 32.
Understanding sub-groups of sole parents receiving main benefits
This reports findings from research conducted in 2006 which aimed to increase our understanding of the sole parent benefit recipient population overall and to identify and build our understanding of sub-groups within that population, particularly disadvantaged sub-groups.
