Addressing contemporary concerns helps to understand the issues that single mothers face on a daily basis. These concerns include teen pregnancy, welfare, and the effects on children of single mothers. The topic of single mothering is of major concern to many people. Single parents are often the target of blame for issues ranging from child delinquency to gang violence and increased teen pregnancy. About twenty percent of female teens have a child. It is almost an even split with teen parents coming from a single family home or a married parent home. The children of teen parents are more likely to live in poverty. Four out of every five children with teenage mothers are poor (Dowd, 1997, Pp 83). These single parents are also blamed for not
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Some women do not receive child support and many may not receive the entire amount that was set by the court system. Often times, women do not have an income that is adequate to support their children on their own. These mothers often find themselves working in low paying jobs that have little or no opportunity for advancement. Being a single mom can limit the ability to pursue a career. A single mom often times has difficulty with work and life balance along with caring for her children. A large amount of single mothers are usually forced into the workforce without the proper support needed to obtain self-sufficiency. It has become increasingly difficult for low-income single mothers to find jobs that have a living wage due to the weak job market. Almost one-third of all jobs do not pay wages that are high enough to support a family above poverty. The lack of options is the true reason for the inadequate wages earned (Dowd, 1997, Pp.20). Young single mothers are less likely to have completed higher education courses, which makes it more difficult to find a higher paying job (Dowd, 1997, Pp.21). When looking at different jobs that single mothers hold, approximately one-third of single mothers work in the low-end of service sector jobs. In these types of positions where their earned income is below poverty, the jobs available to them offer very little flexibility. Low-income single …show more content…
Regardless of the support system they have in place, single-mothers are struggling to survive. They face similar problems regardless of cultural diversity, have the same contemporary concerns and suffer from the same lack of income gains trapping them into lose-lose situations. With the welfare reform act, there was a goal to help single mothers support themselves and their children with an overall goal of exiting the welfare system with support. Unfortunately, the income that single mothers have, are not increasing while their expenses continue to rise for childcare and basic needs such as food and clothing. Identifying the root of these needs begin in the workplace, it is important that companies have better flexibility to allow for single mothers and all mothers to have the opportunity to care for their children and still prosper in the workplace. Some companies have identified this need and offer on-site childcare, while a majority of companies have very little compassion for the employee outside of the workplace. Companies need to start investing in their employees; these single mothers have much to offer and advance in the workplace if given the
Some women do not receive child support and many may not receive the entire amount that was set by the court system. Often times, women do not have an income that is adequate to support their children on their own. These mothers often find themselves working in low paying jobs that have little or no opportunity for advancement. Being a single mom can limit the ability to pursue a career. A single mom often times has difficulty with work and life balance along with caring for her children. A large amount of single mothers are usually forced into the workforce without the proper support needed to obtain self-sufficiency. It has become increasingly difficult for low-income single mothers to find jobs that have a living wage due to the weak job market. Almost one-third of all jobs do not pay wages that are high enough to support a family above poverty. The lack of options is the true reason for the inadequate wages earned (Dowd, 1997, Pp.20). Young single mothers are less likely to have completed higher education courses, which makes it more difficult to find a higher paying job (Dowd, 1997, Pp.21). When looking at different jobs that single mothers hold, approximately one-third of single mothers work in the low-end of service sector jobs. In these types of positions where their earned income is below poverty, the jobs available to them offer very little flexibility. Low-income single …show more content…
Regardless of the support system they have in place, single-mothers are struggling to survive. They face similar problems regardless of cultural diversity, have the same contemporary concerns and suffer from the same lack of income gains trapping them into lose-lose situations. With the welfare reform act, there was a goal to help single mothers support themselves and their children with an overall goal of exiting the welfare system with support. Unfortunately, the income that single mothers have, are not increasing while their expenses continue to rise for childcare and basic needs such as food and clothing. Identifying the root of these needs begin in the workplace, it is important that companies have better flexibility to allow for single mothers and all mothers to have the opportunity to care for their children and still prosper in the workplace. Some companies have identified this need and offer on-site childcare, while a majority of companies have very little compassion for the employee outside of the workplace. Companies need to start investing in their employees; these single mothers have much to offer and advance in the workplace if given the