Response # 9

The working poor women conditions and the statistics on families and children are hand in hand. The working poor women usually have children and therefore, their children experience on the affects of poverty. The poverty line for a family of four, according to the federal government, is $20,000. It is clear that this a ludicrous number to imply poverty. The information given in this article states in order for a family of four to makes “ends meat”, it would need to earn twice that amount. Children poverty has seriously increased since the starting of the 21^st century. There are over 13 million children that live in poverty. This number is statistical data from the year of 2006. The statistical data has increased in every category. Minorities, immigrants, African Americans, Caucasians, etc.. Have all seen a rise in the poverty. Families have also been the largest group that is entering into poverty. As mothers and fathers have lost their jobs, they have not been able to keep the things they once had such as, a house, food, clothes, basic utilities, transportation, and most importantly, medical care.

Children that come from families that are entering in the world of poverty are able to detect that changes that are taking place. Many children are now going to bed hungry; children are also having to move out of their homes and schools and into shelter homes which are much smaller an often times not as safe or clean. The “head of the household” has to take jobs that pay very little with no benefits. Therefore, 41% of families that rent homes spend more than a third of their income on rent alone. This is clear and precise evidence as to why families are not able to afford other basic necessities that are required in life. Many of the children that are poor are also very young. Twenty percent of the poor children are under the age of six. This is another factor that is not being examined by the public eye. If more than a third of a families income is going towards rent, then that does not leave much money left at such low rate of pay. Childcare is expensive. So many parents cannot afford to work because it literally cost them more money than they are bring home in their paycheck to send their children to childcare.