Blog # 5

In the first chapter of “Putting Children First” by Ajay Chaudry we learn the struggles of single mothers trying to raise a family and work in the public workforce. There are many concerns that come with being a single mother looking for child care. The government continues to pass policies to encourage single women to get jobs, but they don’t encompass plans for childcare. It becomes a big problem when your children are not at the age for full time school and you have a job that does not offer child care assistance. What is a single mother to do when she has no one to watch her children, is quitting her job a sacrifice that she should have to make? The mothers who are able to continue to work while raising children end up working more hours than any average employee and still aren’t able to make ends meet. As supported by the video’s even though low income mothers may be working long hours their wages are not high and the cost of living is drastically rising. As women make more money they decrease their eligibility for government aid programs.

In Annette and Aarons story in the first chapter of the book Annette struggles to make ends meet. She tries getting a second job and when she does her expenses increase, when Annette finds a better paying job, her rent increases. This study showed that as we make more money we desire and demand a better style of living, it can be a vicious cycle for those who are close to the poverty line. Chaudry argues that it is the public responsibility to help these mothers who are trying to work but cannot afford childcare. We need government assistance in financing childcare for working woman along with better guidelines for working mothers in these situations.