A FREE eight-week program about helping single mothers is coming to Ballarat.<\/p>\n
Run by the Council of Single Mothers and their Children, the Bloom course aims to provide tailored career, health, and wellbeing support, with online and monthly in-person meetings.<\/p>\n
The catch-ups are often one-on-one with facilitator Erika Williams who said she wants to create safe, accessible environments where women can build their confidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cI created Bloom for single mothers who sometimes sit outside what might be other models,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know at this current time with the cost-of-living and the housing crisis many mums are feeling insecure and very concerned about their futures and their children\u2019s futures.<\/p>\n
At Bloom\u2019s core is flexibility, to ensure single mums with barriers can participate.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really important single mothers know this is a program written by single mothers for single mothers,\u201d said Ms Williams.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe program is extremely flexible because things in the wider system often aren\u2019t tailored to each person\u2019s needs and single mothers are often faced with challenges like sick children, having appointments or having to pick up children from school.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey can tell me what hours in a week they are free, and I can match their needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt also creates a trusting relationship as to some degree I\u2019m putting their needs first rather than our organisation\u2019s needs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Williams said the program has led to profound shifts for participants.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom a wholistic, wellbeing point of view… some mums have not been able to find time in their lives to think about who they are as a woman and outside their children,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of women who\u2019ve felt gratitude for being the centre of their universe for a couple of months.\u201d<\/p>\n