The number of examinations at mother-child homes in Vienna remains high. Residents cannot make ends meet and depend on donations.
20 mothers and 39 children live in Haus Luise, one of the three Caritas mother and child homes in Vienna. (Young) mothers who have been thrown out by their families or who seek protection against violent fathers are given shelter here. For example, Bianca M. came into the house last August with her one-year-old son. “In the beginning it took me a lot of effort to get here. But it was the right decision”, the 27-year-old looks back.
Psychological help and courses
Here the young mother received psychological help and took courses in caring for a baby. “Because of my ex-boyfriend, I also have a mountain of debt. The social workers in the home situation referred me to debt assistance,” says the Viennese. There she learned how to handle money. She now keeps a budget book in which she enters every expense.
According to the study, 60 percent are in permanent emergency
The customer survey “Unterm Radar'” by SORA and the Caritas of the Archdiocese of Vienna indicated a special concern for single mothers. 60 percent reported being in a permanent emergency. 86 percent of the women surveyed have had to cut back on their children’s livelihoods – for just as many, the situation has been made worse by rising prices.
Monthly 350 euros for apartment
An apartment in the mother-child home costs 350 euros per month. In addition, there is another 150 euros that the young women must set aside. Now Bianca M. benefits from the savings. “I found a job and will get my own apartment in September,” the employee says happily. Covering the costs of living alone will not be easy. “I used to not pay attention to offers in the supermarket, now I only buy cheaper goods,” says the single parent.
‘Price inflation is often no longer manageable for single parents’
And house manager Claudia Fern-Unger also knows how tight money gets for many at the end of the month. She also had to raise the rent by eight percent. “The rise in prices is often unimaginable for single parents,” reports the 47-year-old.
That is why they depend on food donations from Wiener Tafel. The Luise House also welcomes private donations in kind, such as baby clothes and diapers.
More than half a million women are at risk of poverty
Caritas uses Mother’s Day to draw attention to the increasing hardships of single parents. More than half a million women in Austria are at risk of poverty.
Source: Krone
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