Policy frameworks underpinning family-based interventions often assume a father deficit model, one that sees fathers as ineffective or neglectful in the area of child health and development. Our survey presents a more positive picture of fathering.

This report is designed to help change the conversation about parenting. If we want to give children the best chance of healthy development we need to better support the parents who care for them. We can do this by using and sharing what we know from research.

The Ministry for Women interviewed 40 mothers in Whāngarei, South Auckland and Gisborne, to hear in their own words, their experiences of being on a benefit and of the social services they accessed both during pregnancy and with young children. These interviews focused on nutrition, stress levels, parenting skills and the physical environment.

This literature review considers New Zealand and international literature on the experiences of younger mothers, their perceptions of the issues they face as well as their views on what would work best to improve their situation.

This paper draws conclusions from the available evidence, much of it international. This report is not an attack on single mothers. Strong parental attachment generally mitigates the many disadvantages their children face.