ParentsNext

Our ParentsNext program works with parents of young children to develop and achieve your education and employment goals. We don’t encourage you to take any job as we acknowledge and understand that family comes first. We will support you to find a job that is going to suit your family life and be sustainable for the long-term.

In ParentsNext, we also work with parents to source and enrol in relevant vocational qualifications and licencing. We will work with you to create a short- and long-term plan that will assist you in meeting your education and/or employment goals.

Yes! We work with any parent who receives Parenting Payment, has at least one child aged between six months and six years and lives in the local area. We have family friendly offices, so your children are welcome to attend your appointments with you.

MAX ParentsNext has connections with many Registered Training Organisations that offer a broad range of courses and qualifications. Once you have registered with us, we can talk about all of the different courses, delivery modes and training organisations in your area, and how we can support you in upskilling.

You and your consultant will come up with a plan together. It will include a variety of activities that will help you to achieve your education and employment goals. You can do something with your child or by yourself on days you have free. 

An activity can be something as simple as a playgroup or studying that course you've always dreamt of doing, job searching or even volunteering with a not-for-profit organisation. The choice is yours.

No you can choose to do an activity once a week or each fortnight. We will work with you to determine what is suitable.

You will need to advise us when you are unable to attend an agreed upon activity and also let us know why you are not able to attend. On occasions you may need to provide evidence of why you can't attend your activity.

It is important to know that if the reason is not sufficient, you may risk having your payments affected. That said, we are very understanding to your needs and understand how demanding life can be at times.

You will need to contact your ParentsNext consultant to advise of the reason why you can't attend on the day you are meant to attend. This will help you to avoid having your payments affected. 

You can change your activity at any time you wish. All you need to do is make an appointment with your consultant to re-negotiate your participation plan.

Once your youngest child turns six, you will exit from the ParentsNext program and Centrelink will book you in for an appointment with them. They will discuss which jobactive provider you wish to be linked with to assist you in gaining employment. 

MAX also offers jobactive services in many locations and we would be pleased to walk with you in the next step of your journey. 

You need to notify your ParentsNext consultant straight away so we can have your participation plan up to date. We can also help you with any extra things you may need such as clothing for work, fuel vouchers or Opal cards if you are using public transport. We will continue to support you through your journey. 

Also remember to report your earnings to Centrelink.

If Centrelink has identified you as an eligible participant, it is now an Australian Government requirement that you need to take part in ParentsNext in order to maintain your income support payments.

In ParentsNext, we can assist you to develop extra employability and life skills and help you to gain employment by the time your youngest child turns six.

There are a couple of steps to set up your reporting. Once set up, it’s very easy.

• Download the jobseeker app on your smartphone
• Link the jobseeker app to your myGov account

Now, you can easily record your attendance at ParentsNext activities and appointments. It is important remember:

• You need to log your activity before 9pm on the day you participated in the activity
• If you would prefer to attend a MAX Employment office to log your activity, attend before 5pm on the day to use the free wifi available to log your activity, or even mark your attendance on the jobseeker computers provided
• If you are unable to log your activity by 9pm, please contact your ParentsNext consultant by phone before 5pm so they can record your attendance on your behalf
• If you forget to report your attendance, you will receive a text message that your payments have been suspended. You will need to call your ParentsNext consultant to arrange an appointment in order to have your payments reinstated.

Everyone who receives a Centrelink benefit is now required to report to Centrelink each fortnight before they receive their payment. 

For example if you are due to get your Parenting Payment on a Thursday, you will need to report to Centrelink through your express app or myGov app on the Tuesday prior for your payment to be processed.  

If you don't report to Centrelink, your payment will not be released until you do so. It will take two business days to clear to your bank account after you have reported to Centrelink.