Single-parent households lag behind on income and wellbeing
Current family policy in Flanders fails to adequately address the needs of single-parent families, according to the Flemish family association Gezinsbond. As a result, these parents "feel that parenting is like juggling ten balls at once," the organisation says.
The region’s family policy remains largely focused on the traditional two-parent household, leaving many families overlooked. One in five families in Flanders and one in three in Brussels are headed by a single parent, representing around half a million parents in total, a figure that continues to rise.
Single-parent families are significantly more likely to report dissatisfaction with their work-life balance. According to the Gezinsbond, 51 per cent say they are dissatisfied, compared with 34 per cent of two-parent families. Dissatisfaction with the neighbourhood is also more than twice as high among single-parent households, at 34 per cent versus 15 per cent.
Financial difficulties
Financial pressures are particularly acute. Three-quarters of single-parent families report it is "somewhat to very difficult" to make ends meet, compared with 28 per cent of two-parent families. Nearly half relied on financial support from family or friends over the past year, compared with 23 per cent of two-parent households.
Gezinsbond also points to figures from Statbel showing that more than one in three single-parent families live below the European at-risk-of-poverty threshold, three times the rate for two-parent families. Median incomes are significantly lower, while fixed costs remain broadly similar. Single parents are also more likely to work part-time to balance care responsibilities.
The organisation is calling for a series of policy measures, including the automatic granting of entitlements based on family composition. It also advocates priority access to childcare for single-parent families, more flexible childcare arrangements, shorter waiting times for housing allowances and "protection against pension poverty".
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO OLIVIER PAPEGNIES
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