Case study 3: Charlie, Courtney and Mitchell
Charlie is 6 months old and lives with his parents, Mitchell and Courtney. The first two years are critical in shaping a child’s future and Charlie needs a stable home, free from conflict, with people providing loving care and attention.
Charlie’s primary caregiver is Courtney and together Mitchell and Courtney are ‘renting to buy’ their home from Courtney’s mother. Mitchell is just starting a new job and Courtney receives part parenting income support.
Mitchell recently admitted to Courtney that he had been gambling. He had gambled away his pay on a number of occasions and had then taken out short term loans to hide the lack of funds. It was out of hand and now he had debts of over $12,000.
This was a shock to Courtney and has caused issues in their relationship. Mitchell agreed to close his bank account and have his pay go into Courtney’s which he could not access. While these arrangements helped to control his gambling losses, they have created new issues in their relationship. This is affecting their capacity to provide Charlie with their full attention and a conflict-free home.
Courtney’s dad helped them out financially so that they could provide basic material needs for Charlie, such as nappies and food. They were fortunate that Courtney’s mother was their landlord and that she was willing to load them the money they owed on rent.
Mitchell and Courtney sought help from a Financial Counsellor, who helped them negotiate with the creditors, and eventually Courtney paid off the remaining debts. However, Mitchell has declined counselling from Gambler’s Help.
Although Mitchell and Courtney have started to get things back on track financially, gambling has reduced their lifetime savings. It will also take some time to rebuild trust in their relationship with each other and with Courtney’s parents. The strain in their relationship, their anxiety and their preoccupation with their financial crisis are likely to have impacted both Charlie’s development and Mitchell’s performance at work.
If Mitchell’s gambling problem continues, family dysfunction is likely to have a lifelong impact on Charlie’s behavioural development, educational outcomes, relationships and future potential.
