Blog #7

Julia and Jacqueline’s struggle to find quality healthcare is described in chapter 3 of Chaudry. Julia did not have the father involved very much in the life of Jacqueline. He did watch Jacqueline for awhile in the beginning, while Julia attended community college but then he left and eventually ended up in jail in New Jersey. Julia had to stay home during this time. Factors that contributed to Julia’s obstacles in obtaining child care include: lack of education, lack of work, discrepancies in welfare and other government programs, and a poor family life. Julia did not have a mother or family members who she could count on to watch her child. Her sister was able to provide care for awhile but that stopped when her sister had to get a job. Jacqueline stayed in a family home care environment for awhile, where she was looked after properly and enjoyed the environment. Julia experienced problems with her welfare. They were late with payments to the providers and on one occasion lost her paperwork. Julia had to alter her work schedule when she got hired full-time and this affected the current care she was receivin. Julia was dropped from her public assistance and because of this she no longer received food stamps or housing assistance and with the added expenses and she was forced to take Jacqueline out of the home care situation that Jacqueline so enjoyed. Chaudry points out that it was when Julia was provided with good child care that she was able to move up in the work world and improve her life. When her child care situation became difficult, she faced more struggle in her work life. Chaudry concludes that having good child care leads to an improved lifestyle and improved overall work situations.

Minimum wage jobs add to a poor woman’s ability to find and maintain stable and safe childcare and career improvements because it is extremely difficult to actually get ahead in a minimum wage job. The video, “American Low Wage Worker’s Tour”, describes how minimum wage jobs usually do not offer health insurance. Woman in minimum wage jobs usually live paycheck to paycheck and have to sacrifice certain necessities to provide for other ones. Child care is very expensive and if you only work a minimum wage job it is nearly impossible to afford decent childcare. Because of this, woman have to resort to less reliable sources of childcare such as an untrustworthy family member or a sketchy babysitter. Child care subsidies are difficult to receive and still do not cover all the costs. In a minimum wage job, it seems nearly impossible for a single woman to find and maintain stable and safe childcare, which makes it virtually impossible for them to improve in their careers.