One parent, but the responsibility of two. One salary, but the expenses of an entire family. Childcare, work, bills, and everyday uncertainty all resting on one person's shoulders. For many single-parent families in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this is not a temporary situation but an everyday reality in which they struggle to provide their children with a decent standard of living.

As the cost of living continues to rise, parents raising children on their own face challenges that often receive little attention from the public and institutions. Their specific needs are not adequately addressed by existing support mechanisms, leaving many to rely on their own resources, help from relatives, and occasional one-off financial assistance.

But bills do not arrive only occasionally. Food, rent, utilities, school supplies, and other children's needs require continuous spending, while one-off assistance, however welcome, cannot provide long-term financial stability.

For a parent raising children alone, every new month can bring fresh uncertainty – how to meet all financial obligations, provide everything their children need, and still find enough time to be there as they grow up.

BEHIND THE EVERYDAY STRUGGLE ARE STORIES THAT OFTEN GO UNSEEN

Single-parent families arise from different life circumstances, including divorce, the death of a partner, and other situations in which one parent takes on most of the responsibility for raising and supporting their children.

Among them are women who have left abusive households in an effort to protect themselves and their children. For these women, leaving an abusive environment often does not mean the end of their difficulties. On the contrary, finding a safe place to live is frequently followed by new challenges.

In such circumstances, the lack of reliable, long-term institutional support can make it even harder to achieve independence and build a safer life.

It is particularly concerning when a parent who has taken steps towards a safer life for themselves and their children is left without the support needed to maintain that security in the long term.

ONE-OFF ASSISTANCE IS NOT A LONG-TERM SOLUTION

Occasional financial assistance can help families through difficult situations, but it cannot replace systematic support that provides stability and predictability.

Recognising the need for a long-term solution, the Li-Woman Association from Livno has launched an initiative to establish a Fund for Single-Parent Families in the City of Livno, which would provide continuous financial support to single-parent households. The initiative aims to establish a permanent support mechanism through allocations from the city budget, helping to improve these families' financial stability, reduce their economic insecurity, and create better conditions for children to grow up.

The Li-Woman Association's campaign advocating for the establishment of the Fund for Single-Parent Families in the City of Livno is being implemented as part of the PRAGG project.

The initiative seeks to encourage the City of Livno to recognise the specific needs of single-parent families and ensure their long-term support through budget allocations starting in 2027. This would mark an important shift from occasional assistance towards a systematic solution that provides greater security for parents and equal opportunities for children to develop and grow.

Such support would not be a privilege, but an investment in family stability and equal opportunities for children, regardless of the circumstances in which they grow up.

Because no child should have fewer opportunities simply because they are being raised by one parent, and no parent raising children alone should be left to face all of life's challenges without support.