Media Release

Family Separation Key Issue in National Youth Week

5 April 2008

Minister for Human Services, Senator Joe Ludwig said today “National Youth Week is a good time to remind families about the resources available from the Child Support Agency (CSA) to help teenagers through family separation.”

The resources, called Family separation - a guide for teens, include a booklet and website with practical advice about how to deal with changing family circumstances.

Senator Ludwig said there are approximately 445,000 teenagers whose parents are registered with the CSA, with an additional 11,000 teenagers affected by family separation in Australia every year.

“National Youth Week is an excellent opportunity to focus on getting teenagers the information they need to cope with family separation. The week encourages teenagers to get information, share ideas and experiences with other teenagers,” Senator Ludwig said.

“The focus of the book is to reassure teenagers that they are not alone and encourages them to talk to those around them, including other teenagers who may be going through the same thing.”

“This guide helps teenagers to find support, identify their rights and encourages them to reach out to friends and professionals if they need to.”

“It’s also a great resource for parents as it can help them to understand what their teenage son or daughter is going through and how to help them adjust to their new circumstances.”

“When parents separate, young people often say they feel isolated, so it’s important that they know there are people they can talk to.”

The booklet and website were developed in consultation with more than twenty stakeholders and community organisations including Kids Help Line, beyondblue: the national depression initiative and Relationships Australia.

One parent who ordered the book said that although they had been separated and divorced for six years the topics were still relevant to their teenage children. “The hints and tips and advice is what I’ve already told them, but it’s great to be able to include them in the process of keeping themselves on track. This is a fantastic resource.”

It has been a popular agency resource with over 30,000 copies of the booklet distributed and almost 9,000 download from the website. For a copy of the booklet go to http://www.youth.csa.gov.au or phone free call 1800 040 972.

Children aged 12 to 18 in active case by region:

NSW/ACT	QLD	SA/NT	VIC/TAS	WA	Total
144,090	98,562	40,756	118,105	44,458	445,971

Media Contact: Barb Barrett—0448 469 787.