Financial implications of working full time and caring for a child with chronic illness

The cost of caring for a child with a chronic illness is a serious concern for parents. Unfortunately, there is limited knowledge about the financial challenges facing fulltime working parents who also care for a child with chronic illness. This paper shares some findings from a large mixed-methods study situated in Australia, and presents data from both qualitative interviews and a national survey which explored the challenges and support needs of such parents. The findings reveal that parents are not benefiting financially from full-time employment, as one would normally expect. We argue that this is because many are employed in low-paid jobs in direct response to their need for flexibility to undertake their caring responsibilities. As well, while taking lower-paid employment, these parents faced high-cost specialised care for their child. Further, owing to their often unique support arrangements, many of the existing support entitlements available in Australia are not available to them. Full-time working parents who care for a child with chronic illness struggle financially to care for themselves and their child. They are in need of more specific financial support from government to help them balance their dual roles.