Victoria will be the only state or territory without a dedicated helpline for parents and guardians of children, after the government announced it would withdraw funding for Parentline.<\/p>\n
The anonymous parenting advice and support service \u2014 available from 8am until midnight, seven days a week \u2014 has operated for 25 years.<\/p>\n
Counsellors take up to 18,000 calls each year, helping parents navigate complex relationships with their children, and issues including education, bullying and behaviour.<\/p>\n
Sally Jungwirth, a mother of two in Melbourne’s north-east, has used the helpline on several occasions.<\/p>\n
“It’s like having a psychologist on tap,” she said.<\/p>\n
“I recall some of my conversations going on for something like an hour. It really did give you a really deep chance to work through something, and feel seen and heard.”<\/p>\n
About 15 counsellors, each with backgrounds in social work or psychology, are expected to lose their jobs.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sally Jungwirth has called Parentline on several occasions while raising her two children.\u00a0 (Supplied)<\/p>\n
Ms Jungwirth said she had spoken about a variety of topics with staff over many years.<\/p>\n
“There’ve been times where I’ve been looking for specific advice in terms of managing something that my child was experiencing,” she said.<\/p>\n
“But then over time it became something that I was just using as a support for myself as a parent.”<\/p>\n
The funding cut means Victoria will become the only state or territory without a version of Parentline.<\/p>\n
Counsellors left in the dark<\/p>\n
Parentline counsellor Amy* said she was pulled into a meeting at short notice and told the helpline would close on October 31.<\/p>\n
“It was a shock,” she said.<\/p>\n
“There is no other service that does the work we do.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Our callers tell us there is nowhere else for them to go.”<\/p>\n
Amy said many callers who live in regional and rural communities often call in, and a significant number identify as First Nations people.<\/p>\n
“It is culturally safe,” she said.<\/p>\n
“We’re also a lifeline for parents of children with disabilities.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Parentline counsellors say the phone service is sometimes the only outlet available to some parents. (Unsplash: Rene Ranisch)<\/p>\n
Counsellors do not place a time limit on calls, and can ring parents back to help minimise the costs of dialling in.<\/p>\n
“Not having Parentline would actually directly contradict the government’s own priorities around child safety, equity and early intervention,” Amy said.<\/p>\n
Magda Akkerman is an industrial organiser from the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), and has been representing the affected staff.<\/p>\n
She said many counsellors work from home and the day-to-day costs of running the helpline are relatively low.<\/p>\n
“[It] costs $1.3 million a year to run the service which is what we would call the low-cost jewel in the crown of parenting supports,” she said.<\/p>\n
“In an hour, the state pays more interest than the cost of Parentline for a year.”<\/p>\n
The decision to stop the Parentline service has triggered concern within the government. (ABC News: Danielle Bonica)<\/p>\n
The decision has triggered a mixed response within government ranks, with some MPs speaking to senior figures about keeping the service running.<\/p>\n
In a statement, a Victorian government spokesperson said there were other options to “support parents, carers and children”.<\/p>\n
“Victorians using Parentline will be supported during the transition and informed about the services available that address their needs,” the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
But the CPSU rejected this, and said the other services were not equipped to support callers in the same way as Parentline.<\/p>\n
“Unfortunately, none of them actually will be able to do that work. They refer back to Parentline,” Ms Akkerman said.<\/p>\n
“There is literally no-one else to call at 10 o’clock on a Saturday night for help with your 16-year-old.”<\/p>\n
Magda Akkerman says Victoria pays more interest on its debts in an hour than Parentline’s total annual running cost. (Supplied: Magda Akkerman)<\/p>\n
The ABC contacted other services, like BeyondBlue, headspace and 1800RESPECT.<\/p>\n
Headspace said it understood the importance of having accessible support for parents and carers, particularly those supporting young people with mental health challenges.<\/p>\n
“As the closure of Parentline in Victoria nears, parents and carers will have fewer options to seek help,” a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
“While headspace hasn’t received additional resources to support parents, headspace does have capacity to provide support to parents seeking help.<\/p>\n
“We’re continuing to monitor the situation.”<\/p>\n
1800RESPECT said it encouraged anyone needing help for domestic, family or sexual violence to seek assistance by calling its counsellors or other state and territory specialised services.<\/p>\n
Phone service cut for a second time<\/p>\n
Three years ago, counsellors were told in an online meeting that the state government was planning to cut the service.<\/p>\n