Presented at Merlien Institute's conference on Qualitative Research for Policy Making 26 & 27 May 2011, Belfast, UK

1. WELFARE, LONE
MOTHERS AND POLICY
ADVOCACY
Illustrating the Power of Collaborative Qualitative
Research
Lea Caragata,
Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada

2. Presentation Agenda
Project Overview
Methodology
Findings
Policy Advocacy Initiatives
Concluding Analyses
Change and Transformation

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Project Overview
Community University Research Alliance:
“Lone Mothers: Building Social Inclusion”

4. Community University Research Alliance:
“Lone Mothers: Building Social Inclusion”
Federally funded (SSHRC) research with 3
qualitative sites: St John’s, Vancouver and
Toronto
5 universities and many community partners
Major partner is Toronto Social Services,
Canda’s 4th largest welfare deliverer
Lone mothers as project advisors, research
assistants
Quantitative analysis, lone mother longitudinal
panel and multi-sector focus groups
Feminist, social exclusion theoretical framing

5. Methodology
Project grounded epistemologically by an
analysis of the power relations embedded in
knowledge production
Utilized a feminist PAR theory and
methodology to guide our work
Goal was good data and modeling of capacity
building, engaged research subjects, shift in
power relations of standard research
relationship and policy change

6. Methodology
Hired and trained 22 lone mothers on social
assistance across all 3 sites to act as paid
Research Assistants (RAs), interviewing and
participating in all aspects of the research
Lone mom RA’s also interviewed as part of
longitudinal panel
Interviewed 104 lone mothers in 3 sites, 4
times over 4 years

7. Methodology: Longitudinal
Panel
Interviewers were ‘matched’ with lone mother
RA’s, academics or doctoral students; all
women interviewers
Contact between interviewer & interviewee
between interviews; after 4 years had
maintained about 75% of panel
Diverse range of Aboriginal, immigrant and
Canadian born, aged 18-61, about 75% of
participants had either 1 or 2 children, 40%
had some college or university

8. Policy-Related Findings:
The Power of ‘Voice’
Women wanted to work, but were hampered by
stigma, the absence of affordable child care and
limited education and training options
“...everybody’s so concerned with keeping people off the
system...it’s not enough to get somebody off the system, you
got to keep them off, and to do that we need to be allowed to
have an education and to have a healthy life.” (Kelly,
Vancouver)
“...how can you...get off Welfare and take care of yourself and
your children when you don’t have someone to watch them
while you’re going to school or to work?” (Jade, Vancouver)
“...I would like to see viable courses offered through social
assistance, not courses that… lead to jobs that have no
benefits or long-term staying power. ...It defeats the purpose
...and [lone mothers] still stay on social assistance.” (Julie,
Toronto)

9. Policy-Related Findings:
The Power of ‘Voice’
Almost two thirds of lone mothers had experienced
abuse – often this was what instigated applying for
welfare –few of the systems they interacted with
effectively acknowledged abuse impacts in policy:
My abuse was so bad I actually [had to go to a] shelter. …I was so
disgusted with myself. I was like, how did I get in this situation? … to end
up on a welfare system. (Koi, Toronto)
I felt really bad and actually ashamed of having to go on welfare but my
pride could not keep me away, could not keep me in this situation [being
abused] and that’s why, even though it’s a struggle raising children as a
single parent, it’s still better that my children... don’t grow up knowing
violence. (Oprah, Toronto)
[Welfare needs] to recognize abuse, single mothers that have been through
abuse…We need time to collect ourselves. I mean, for me it has been four
years, but believe me I still think about it every day. My custody fight has
been for eight years. I feel worn down and every time that phone was
ringing from the welfare, “Did you [do this or do that]?” Ohh!. I felt so bad,
so stressed. It made me more and more and more stressed. I don’t need
that. So they really have to, need to recognize … abused people like single
moms. And there’s a lot of us out there. (Koi, Toronto)

10. Policy-Related Findings:
Summary Analysis
Need for Improved Education, Training and Income
Security
Very low welfare benefits are predicated on short stays – not
the case for lone mother-led families, families experience
severe material deprivation – Required are better benefits
and better routes off assistance
‘Workfare’ is oriented to ‘shortest route to work’ – a
sustainable family income requires intensive job training &
stable, affordable child care – Lone mothers caught in
welfare-work-welfare cycle
A gender-based analysis is needed to acknowledge
that issues facing lone mother-led families are
gendered, Canada’s policies are so-called ‘gender
neutral’
Abuse is a major factor in lone mothers’ welfare applications
Women continue to be the care-givers when families break-up
Needed services include daycare, counseling & case

11. Policy Advocacy Initiatives
Meetings with Directors of Toronto Social Services
(our partner)
Outcomes include gender/power training to all staff
Service changes – and inclusion of gender-based
analyses
Advocating use of lone moms on assistance in new
caseworker training
Meetings with Ministers responsible for social
assistance and education and training
Presence of lone mom RA’s and compelling ‘stories’
from qualitative data – no change but ongoing
consultation

12. Policy Advocacy Initiatives
Meetings with federal government, other
jurisdictions including lone mothers
Meetings with Ryerson University/Toronto Social
Services
Pilot developed with free tuition and permission to attend
university full-time while on assistance – to document
outcomes for policy change
Lone mother RA now on national anti-poverty board

13. Concluding Analysis
In Canada, almost 25% of families are headed by
a lone parent (Jensen, 2003) and over 90% of poor
lone parents are women (National Council of Welfare, 2002).
Therefore:
Welfare State policy and programs must be
analysed through a gender lens to address
women’s ongoing and disproportionate care
responsibilities .
The exclusionary effects of poverty, single
motherhood and welfare use are cumulative –
addressing them requires multifaceted solutions
that provide meaningful education, child care and
counselling to end reliance on social assistance.
Higher benefit levels for families are critical to
ensure social inclusion.

14. Change and Transformation
“Being involved with this Lone mothers, state and
project has enabled me to be community partners act to
an intricate part of finding a ensure mutual
positive, empowering, viable accountability
solution, aimed at helping
single moms on social
assistance. Since joining the ‘Stories’ from lone mothers
‘Lone Mothers’ project I have are more compelling than
started University and research ‘facts’
started speaking out against
women and children living in
poverty. I utilize the media, The use of PAR has
through TV, radio and changed the personal lives
newspapers to have the of many of the 22 lone
issues of social injustice mother research assistants
heard. As well I volunteer and at the same time
with Campaign 2000, to helped to create 22 new
enlighten society about the lone mother activists
true facts surrounding child
poverty” (Lone Mother
Researcher).