>Being middle class IS a luxury if you are the working poor.
>
>


Very true! This is where I believe the government needs to step in. Having
been on assistance on and off for awhile, this is where the change needs to
be. In the past moms could stay home with their children for three years I
think it was, after they were born and still receive aid. Thanks to works to
welfare stuff, those moms must go to work when the baby is 3 months and the
government pays for the child care.

For me, I received $617 in cash plus food and medical. (when i was a single
mom) The cost for my kids in daycare full-time would be $9/hour. (at the
time when they were three months and Neil was 3) Do the addition. The
government would pay more to send me to work than let me stay home. I don't
get it. The government pays $5/ hour or less for people to care for our
children while the working poor make minumum wage. i have an idea! Let's pay
moms the $5/hour to stay home with their children. I believe we would have a
society much better off!

I was fortunate my babies were on monitors and I was excluded from their
plan. When it came time for their program I took the opportunity to move
like they had offered. So here I am in Wisconsin and not receiving
assistance anymore. We don't qualify anymore but we are definitely still the
working poor. Not sure how we are going to do it but I feel strongly enough
about working from home that we will find a way.

My mom in Illinois said she heard about some program there that was trying
to be passed to pay moms to stay home. An idea? I think that is where real
change can begin. Don't know if it will ever happen. All the push to reduce
federal programs, including cash and other social support and you just have
to wonder where TRUE waste is with the government.

Patti C.
(mom to 3, nursing mom of 18-mo twins and aspiring LC in WI)

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