All in the family?

The latest thought, or lack of thought, from the US President Donald Trump team is that some child care subsidies are only for children of married couples.

It would seem obvious that the group who need the subsidies would contain more single parents than would be the average for the general public, so again it is the less well off who will miss out.

The other concern is that definition of a ‘married couple’ being the only legitimate family is long out of date, inaccurate and plain offensive. I was raised in a time when a two parents family was more common but even the concept of family then included uncles, aunts, trusted neighbours and family friends.

What of changing circumstances, death, divorce, families where one person might be serving overseas, or where a parent may have never been a part of the child’s life?

Too many questions, too few answers and too many children who will miss out on needed support. It does take a village to raise a child.

Dennis Fitzgerald
Melbourne, Australia