I searched Google to find a news article that had to deal with poor working mothers. It's interesting because I couldn't find a lot of information or current events surrounding this issue. I must comment, though, that somehow Kate Gosslin is being considered a poor single mother because of Jon's "stealing" $200,000 out of their joint bank account. Kind of sick if you ask me when there are real mothers who would not ever be in the situation they were in if they could afford to lose $200,000.
The article that I did find was called: "They're single mothers Gordon, not fallen women." (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1217890/Vince-Cable-Theyre-single-mothers-Gordon-fallen-women.html) I was not very surprised to find out that what we have been learning throughout the semester is exactly what is being said in these articles. They are recognizing that some people have babies out of wedlock in order to not have to work and get federal benefits, however they also recognize that MOST of the women looking for help did not put themselves in that position on purpose. They are struggling to make ends meet and trying to provide a good life for their children. This article talks a lot about the cycle that poverty creates for these children and how hard it is to break them of this cycle. It seems to me, this cycle is the most dangerous part of poverty. Once you're in, you're never able to get out.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Blog #10: Working Poor Women's Unpaid Labor
The Welfare Reform, also known as the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 was put into place by President Clinton. This caused a shift in the methods that cash would be given to the public as well as the goals of the welfare program. The program is no longer an entitlement program, and recipients are having to give back in order to qualify for these programs. For example, once you have received federal benefits, you are required to start working after two years. There is also a lifetime cap of 5 years for federally paid benefits on the program. The program is really aiming to minimize out of wedlock births and show the importance of having a stable situation before getting pregnant. Since this program has been in effect, the rates of people on welfare have decline significantly. These new programs really are helping our community gain the confidence and skills they need to be able to succeed in our world today.
In this program, many mothers in Chanudry's study had to adapt to the new "rules" of this program. They had to be flexible in terms of jobs, timing, etc. They also had to make their work schedules fit around their child care schedule. They had to utilize their money and work subsidies to qualify for center based child care. Many attended classes and seminars on a weekly basis that were required, to find out new opportunities for work and to gain skills to enter the work field. However, these classes uncovered some common trouble that these women have been having, especially those who are pregnant. They discussed the hardships of obtaining a job while they were pregnant because their employers are hesitant to hire them for a short period of time and have them leave once the baby is born (if this is even their reality). Chaudry's study really disproved the common stereotype that these women on welfare are lazy and stupid and they are unable to find jobs. Unfortunately, they try and try almost every day of the week and are not able to find jobs. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act requires a certain number of hours per week dedicated to searching for a job.
Chaundry's recommendations are as follows: 1) Government should increase funding for children's programs and unify the system; 2) Create policy that acknowledges single mothers in today's working world; 3) Work for society in which cycle of poverty can be broken; and 4) Make the system simpler - build up systems, coordinate across programs and educate children. I think that Chaundry's recommendations fall very closely in line with the program that President Clinton put into place. They are asking for something in return for federal funding, putting focus on these single mother's and giving them the tools to empower their children. One of the articles talked about the impact that a mother going to work everyday has on a child living in poverty. It really helps to break the "mold".
The opportunity for these women to be able to not only gain the experience and tools they need to get a great job and to support their family but to get the assistance they need at the same time is a much better program that the Welfare program that was being used before this act. Before, the women on the program were looked at as stupid and lazy because the government wasn't requiring them to do anything but collect on welfare. That is not the solution to the problem. Allowing these women to collect without bettering themselves and their families is a problem. The current system really empowers women and brings them together to provide them the opportunity to get that great job, and also be backed up by an entire class of women in their same situation to support them. The time restraints that they have put on the program also act as a motivational tool for these women to get out into the working world and succeed the best they can. The new goals of the program will help better our community.
In this program, many mothers in Chanudry's study had to adapt to the new "rules" of this program. They had to be flexible in terms of jobs, timing, etc. They also had to make their work schedules fit around their child care schedule. They had to utilize their money and work subsidies to qualify for center based child care. Many attended classes and seminars on a weekly basis that were required, to find out new opportunities for work and to gain skills to enter the work field. However, these classes uncovered some common trouble that these women have been having, especially those who are pregnant. They discussed the hardships of obtaining a job while they were pregnant because their employers are hesitant to hire them for a short period of time and have them leave once the baby is born (if this is even their reality). Chaudry's study really disproved the common stereotype that these women on welfare are lazy and stupid and they are unable to find jobs. Unfortunately, they try and try almost every day of the week and are not able to find jobs. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act requires a certain number of hours per week dedicated to searching for a job.
Chaundry's recommendations are as follows: 1) Government should increase funding for children's programs and unify the system; 2) Create policy that acknowledges single mothers in today's working world; 3) Work for society in which cycle of poverty can be broken; and 4) Make the system simpler - build up systems, coordinate across programs and educate children. I think that Chaundry's recommendations fall very closely in line with the program that President Clinton put into place. They are asking for something in return for federal funding, putting focus on these single mother's and giving them the tools to empower their children. One of the articles talked about the impact that a mother going to work everyday has on a child living in poverty. It really helps to break the "mold".
The opportunity for these women to be able to not only gain the experience and tools they need to get a great job and to support their family but to get the assistance they need at the same time is a much better program that the Welfare program that was being used before this act. Before, the women on the program were looked at as stupid and lazy because the government wasn't requiring them to do anything but collect on welfare. That is not the solution to the problem. Allowing these women to collect without bettering themselves and their families is a problem. The current system really empowers women and brings them together to provide them the opportunity to get that great job, and also be backed up by an entire class of women in their same situation to support them. The time restraints that they have put on the program also act as a motivational tool for these women to get out into the working world and succeed the best they can. The new goals of the program will help better our community.
Blog #9: Working Poor Mother's Unpaid Labor
With the national poverty level below $20,000 for a family of four, many low income families fall underneath this guideline. Right now, there are 13 million children that are living in a family with income under the poverty line. It has been said that families of four need to make at least two times this amount in order to make ends meet. These types of conditions severely impact a child's life. Unfortunately, the children do not have a choice, with many of them being too young to work and help provide for their family. 16% of children experience food insecurity, and are not able to eat three healthy meals a day. This can add to the level of disease and sickness in the house which in the end will create medical issues to go unaddressed because of the lack of health insurance. 19% of children living in poverty live without any form of health insurance, which would be a deterrent to visit the doctor because of the extremely high medical bills. Out of all of the families who rent properties, 41% of these families spend over 1/3 of their income on housing. At $20,000 a year, a family of four would have only $13,400 to live off of for the entire year. Most of the time these rental properties are not in safe and secure areas, and are actually dangerous places for these children to be living. Often times, older children do not attend school because they need to work to support their families. Women in low-income families do the best they can with what they have to work with, but often end up setting their child up to follow in their footsteps. They do not have the tools needed to set up their children to have a good adult life.
Blog #8: Working Poor: Women's Paid Labor
There are several important characteristics to urban poverty: limited access to employment opportunities and income, inadequate and insecure housing and services, violent and unhealthy environments, little or no social protection mechanisms, and limited access to adequate health and education opportunities. These can effect poor working mothers and their children in a variety of different ways, and are currently making life even more difficult for these mothers than ever before.
Limited access to employment and income will create a large group of these poor working mothers to work low end jobs at minimum wage. These jobs do not provide substantial income for these families, require long and inconvenient hours, and leave no room for advancement or improvement within their field. This can create a vicious cycle that doesn't allow these working mothers to do better for themselves and their families, forcing them to move into neighborhoods suffering from urban poverty. Inadequate housing and services makes these families always on the move. Children need routine, and it's very difficult to ask a child to adjust to new living situations several times a year. This can be completely detrimental to a child's normal development. Living in a violent environment would also be a reason to try and get out of these types of neighborhoods, but sometimes the income is not great enough to allow for such a move putting children and their mothers in dangerous situations, even while at home. There is very limited access to education and health opportunities, creating both a problem for working mothers and children. Education is what is needed in present day to advance and get hired into specific jobs with higher pay. Without this education, women are stuck in low income jobs at minimum wage. However, without the access to education, it's impossible for someone to become educated. No access to health facilities will create sickness within the family, and also rack up medical bills that will not be covered because of the lack of health insurance. This is a vicious cycle that many of these mother's are not able to get out of. This type of life style is passed on to their children and they will often live the same life as their mother's did.
Limited access to employment and income will create a large group of these poor working mothers to work low end jobs at minimum wage. These jobs do not provide substantial income for these families, require long and inconvenient hours, and leave no room for advancement or improvement within their field. This can create a vicious cycle that doesn't allow these working mothers to do better for themselves and their families, forcing them to move into neighborhoods suffering from urban poverty. Inadequate housing and services makes these families always on the move. Children need routine, and it's very difficult to ask a child to adjust to new living situations several times a year. This can be completely detrimental to a child's normal development. Living in a violent environment would also be a reason to try and get out of these types of neighborhoods, but sometimes the income is not great enough to allow for such a move putting children and their mothers in dangerous situations, even while at home. There is very limited access to education and health opportunities, creating both a problem for working mothers and children. Education is what is needed in present day to advance and get hired into specific jobs with higher pay. Without this education, women are stuck in low income jobs at minimum wage. However, without the access to education, it's impossible for someone to become educated. No access to health facilities will create sickness within the family, and also rack up medical bills that will not be covered because of the lack of health insurance. This is a vicious cycle that many of these mother's are not able to get out of. This type of life style is passed on to their children and they will often live the same life as their mother's did.
Blog #7: Working Poor Women's Paid Labor
There were many factors that contributed to the instability of child care experienced by Jacqueline and Julia. They started out living in a homeless shelter in their cities shelter system. While Julia was trying to go back to school, she attended a community college down the street while the kids dad watched them. When Julia and the children's father broke up, they no longer had anyone to watch them while their mother went to school. She had her younger sister move in to try and help her watch the girls. Julia's grants would be cut if she worked over a certain number of hours and the money that she was making at her second job would push her over the top, so she quit her second job so she would still qualify. She then applied to the Agency for Child Development, but along with the rest of her city, she was put at the bottom of a very long waiting list. While waiting for this program, Julia joined the welfare-to-work program where she was provided child care. However, the problem that most low-income mother's face is the hours that they are required to work at their minimum wage jobs. Most day care facilities are open 6am to around 6pm Monday through Friday, the hours of a "normal" work day with a little time on the front and back end to allow parents to drop off and pick their children up. Minimum wage jobs do not provide normal business hours and you are often required to work nights and weekends, with no one to care for your children. Also, these minimum wage jobs do not offer any benefits for the mother's or their families.
There are such a high number of care givers in a child's early life in these situations that it is not good for development. Often a lack of good quality child care will lead to conflict between parents and providers, as well as poor quality facilities and programs. Overall, there are not very many good child care programs available if you do not have the money to pay top dollar for one.
There are such a high number of care givers in a child's early life in these situations that it is not good for development. Often a lack of good quality child care will lead to conflict between parents and providers, as well as poor quality facilities and programs. Overall, there are not very many good child care programs available if you do not have the money to pay top dollar for one.
Blog #6: Cost of Child Care
There is a wide range of child care options for mother's currently. The same is not currently true for low-income working mothers. Within the home, there is child care in the form of father care - where the father takes responsibility for the children during the day and either doesn't work, or works at night. In formal care by a family member or non-related adult is also a widely used form of child care amongst low-income mothers. There is care by a paid nanny, and also by older siblings. There are day care centers in the caregivers home, or a family daycare group. Pre-K and Preschool programs are often available but very expensive. There is mother's care at work, which is not offered in most occupations. As a last resort, there is also child care in hospitals, shelters, etc.
These mothers often have to pick second best child care options for their children because of the cost and availability of these programs. These are usually not the best options for their children because they start and stop abruptly and are not ever in a routine with their child care. These relationships with caregivers often start out very informally with family members or family friends. They don't have access to the top child care facilities with the best educational programs because of the cost and working mothers are often paying more than they can afford just to put their children in a decent educational setting. They are also often limited by the rules around the subsidies that are offered to them. Often times, the child care offered with subsidies is not somewhere you would like your children to be for a majority of the day.
The stories from "Putting Children First" showed the instability of a child's life because of day care. They are put in a different situation every single week, moving from their older sister's apartment to a shelter for care, to their grandmother's house, etc. Subsidies to these families come and go and they are forced to adjust their child care based on these dynamics.
These mothers often have to pick second best child care options for their children because of the cost and availability of these programs. These are usually not the best options for their children because they start and stop abruptly and are not ever in a routine with their child care. These relationships with caregivers often start out very informally with family members or family friends. They don't have access to the top child care facilities with the best educational programs because of the cost and working mothers are often paying more than they can afford just to put their children in a decent educational setting. They are also often limited by the rules around the subsidies that are offered to them. Often times, the child care offered with subsidies is not somewhere you would like your children to be for a majority of the day.
The stories from "Putting Children First" showed the instability of a child's life because of day care. They are put in a different situation every single week, moving from their older sister's apartment to a shelter for care, to their grandmother's house, etc. Subsidies to these families come and go and they are forced to adjust their child care based on these dynamics.
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