Survey reveals 70 per cent of multiple birth families struggle with extreme financial hardship

Parents of twins and triplets are experiencing extreme hardship in the first two years of their babies’ lives, a nationwide survey reveals. The survey found more than 70 per cent of twins and triplets parents reported struggling financially, prompting the Australian Multiple Birth Association to call for more Federal Government support. “The cost-of-living crisis has hit multiple birth families especially hard, and their distinct needs are often left unaddressed,” AMBA chair Silje Andersen-Cooke said. “Even in a non-inflationary environment, raising multiples can be a substantial financial burden, yet policies and proposals often fail to consider this. “Every year, more than 4100 Australian families welcome multiple babies, but current support systems do not adequately address their unique challenges.” In its Budget submission, AMBA is calling for $350 per family to fund extra support and practical assistance, as well as 240 hours of in-home help for twin families and 1560 for triplet families. It also wants the Paid Parental Leave Act changed to provide leave per baby instead of per birth, bringing Australia in line with international standards. “Paid parental leave policies in countries like France, Denmark, and Vietnam offer additional periods of paid leave to accommodate multiple births,” Ms Andersen-Cooke said. “In New Zealand, multiple birth families can access Government-provided in-home care, unlike in Australia, where most multiple birth families are ineligible for similar support.” Booragoon mum Amara White, who has twin three-year-old girls, April and Montana, said she had found it tough going in the first few months. Getting the news she was having twins was exciting, but also a financial shock. “Babies are already expensive enough and we’d already started pricing things and looking at what we needed,” she said. “And then it was kind of like a gasp moment of, it’s about to get real now, it’s double of everything.”