A few themes of support for the bill raised by submitters. They align and support our intent for this bill, which is ultimately to improve equity. Removing the policy will align the treatment of a subsequent child with that of a non-subsequent child in the setting of work or work preparation obligations in determining eligibility for sole parent support. Submitters in support of the bill highlighted specific concerns that the current subsequent child policy impacts child development, does not reflect parents' caring responsibilities, has caused stress and impacts mental health, disproportionately impacts Māori and women, has created inequities in the welfare system, has not achieved its intended purpose, puts pressure on low-income families to have fewer children, and contributes to hardship and poverty. This bill aims to address many of these issues raised by submitters in the simplest possible way: by removing the subsequent child policy.