• 22/12/2022
• By wizewebsite
• 264 Views

We don't have quality food, the children will be at home during the holidays. The state helps very little after the pandemic, say single mothers<

Lenka, a single mother, always tried to give her children nice holidays. "Most of the time I managed to save enough money to go, for example, to Croatia or at least somewhere in the Czech Republic. However, due to the coronavirus, I lost two part-time jobs that were extremely important to our family budget, given that my ex-partner refuses to pay child support. That's why we're not going anywhere this year. The children will spend the summer at home and I will try to get back on my feet and save enough money for the next challenging period - the new school year," says the mother.

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Lack of finances, which is caused by non-payment of alimony and now also often by the loss of part-time jobs, which single parents lost during the time of the coronavirus, is the most common reason why children with their children in the summer they stay at home. According to a survey by the VašeVýživné.cz program, more than half of the interviewed parents agreed on this. Almost 45% of them would therefore appreciate more effective enforcement of alimony by the state in order to improve their financial situation. And 25% of single parents would like at least an allowance for summer camps.

The children's program does not change during the school year or during the holidays

Due to online teaching during the school year, most parents agree that practically nothing will change for the children during the summer. Almost a third of them feel the change in the regime.

“I was always at home with my daughter and tried not to neglect her school duties. However, this had an impact on my income, which was greatly reduced. In the summer I will hopefully have time to take extra shifts again and save something again. Unfortunately, however, the daughter will have to entertain herself at home or with friends from the neighborhood," admits mother Klára.

Parents therefore have to look for an alternative program and try to compensate their children for the fact that they will not have money for "their" holidays. The most common alternative will be one-day trips around the area, which Klára also plans. "Possibly an afternoon after-hours program."

Saving on quality food

In addition to the fact that single parents try to save on holidays, they resort to buying cheap food, but especially saving on quality and healthy products, such as fruit and vegetables.

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"During the pandemic, I had to borrow money. The state may be helping someone, but in my case the help is slow and insufficient," claims single mother Karla. According to her, it would be nice to receive, for example, food packages, housing allowances or medicine. "But we need help now. We all know how it is with the payment of money to health workers. It matters, and the state is doing everything to avoid having to pay everyone, even though it promised them."

Where to look for help?

Parents in need today can use state aid that already exists. It is certainly better than waiting for the payout or even the announcement of the "rescue" programs. This mainly concerns social assistance benefits, or it is possible to apply for help from one of the non-profit organizations. It is possible to get both material and psychological help there.

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