Blog 5

Reading the first chapter of “Putting Children First” by Ajay Chaudry really added a complete new aspect to this class; I never really thought about the children of low income families. Ironically, a week before we were supposed to read this book my friend came in my room asked why I had a book about children and I really did not know what to say. It evident there are many concerns related to children of single mothers and their need for child care. While the government passes policies to encourage single women to get jobs they never really considered what the child or children would be doing while the mother was at work. Not all women have kids in school yet, those who have kids in school may not be able to work those hours, and some women have multiple kids. And while these women are getting jobs and making more money than before their benefits to government aid programs are decreasing. The first family studied was Annette and Aaron, she got a job where she made an addition $100 a week but her expenses went up $153 dollars so technically she losing $53 dollars even thought she is working fulltime. One she had a job that paid more, her child care and rent increased; which does not seem logically, she got a full time job but yet is still in poverty?
This is Chaudry’s argument in its fullest form, public responsibility is lowered because it is good they got a job, from “welfare to work” (Chaudry 16). But on the same token, the public responsibility stops there because we do not take into account the policies that decreased government aid when they get full time jobs. Also when mothers increase their work hours, it means there is also a need for more childcare. While it is a positive fact working mothers can get job, we must further support them by offering discounted childcare or more federal aid. Chaudry mentions the budget for such programs have increased but so has the number of women in need of these programs. Single mothers raising children are considered the “working poor” which one of the videos mentions, basically anyone is working but still cannot make ends met.
It seems single, working mothers are at the tip of a double edge sword- they can scrap by on welfare or they can get a full time job and then pay more in the their cost of living.