Statistics from the Census demonstrate two things.

One is that the traditional nuclear family is less popular than ever. The second is that single parent families continue to face heavy financial pressure.

One parent families earn a median income of $41,231, 40 percent less than the median for two parent families.

And female single parents earn a median income of $55,431, which may seem adequate until the costs of caring for one or more children is factored in.

One would expect that some of the income of single parent families consists of child support and given that, it can also be assumed that these will sometimes be in arrears, thus exacerbating the problem.

The absent parent faces the opposite problem of access, which in many cases is vital if the child from the single parent home is to grow up to be happy and stable.

Much of the debate in Parliament in the last ten days on amendments to the Children's Act centred on these problems and some of the measures taken will help to alleviate them.

But legislation alone cannot solve all of the problems confronting children from so-called broken homes.

Nor can it resolve all of the challenges posed to all parents trying to find affordable day care and the best and safest ways to raise their children.

That's why a Commission of Inquiry into the family, able to get the best advice from experts, evidence from parents affected by issues ranging from child care to custody, the valuable information in the Census information and the ability to investigate the practices from around the world, is needed.