Does America want Moms to stay at home?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-02-2005
Does America want Moms to stay at home?
987
Mon, 12-12-2005 - 11:28am
It was actually dh that suggested that America (gov't I suppose) wants Moms to stay at home. From what I have learned from these boards daycare is hideously expensive and maternity leave is very short. Many have said they couldn't afford to work because of daycare costs. Compare this to Canada where we have $7 a day daycare and Quebec is increasing maternity leave to 2 years at 55% pay or 1 year at 75% pay in January. With the $7 a day daycare Moms can easily afford to work, and with the paid maternity leave Moms can easily afford to stay home. It seems that in the states you're 'forced' into situations because it's your only option. Can't afford daycare? Stay at home. Maternity leave too short or have to work to support the family? Go back to work. Would any of you prefer if it would be easier financially to make either decision like it seems to be in Canada or are you fine with how it is?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-07-1998
Wed, 12-14-2005 - 6:56pm

My mom is disciplined enough that she would have actually invested the money through the years, along with what she did save. Her savings, profit sharing, 401k etc add up to FAR more that she gets from SS - even though she didn't retire unti age 74 and therefore gets the maximum benefit she could.

And should anyone think that only "the rich" can afford to do that, my parents were very far from it. They simply chose to pay themselves first.

Pat

Pat

"If you need something done, ask the busy man. The other kind has no

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-03-2005
Wed, 12-14-2005 - 6:59pm
I can name more than a handful of private companies it would bankrupt. Why do you specify public in your requirements?
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2003
Wed, 12-14-2005 - 6:59pm

OMG. Am I the only person who realizes that such programs exist? No child in MI goes without health care. Between Medicaid and MIChild, every needy child is served....as long as their parents sign them up, of course.


And what deserving poor child goes without an education? If their parents bring them to K-12 then there is

Meldi
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2004
Wed, 12-14-2005 - 7:02pm
Did your charity work in MI mainly address welfare recipients?
Mondo Mom

Mondo

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-11-2005
Wed, 12-14-2005 - 7:12pm
i disagree. no you don't. if rubber met the road and (you/i) really needed help, there are charities like st. vincent de paul that can help. a charity i most believe in and support.


Edited 12/14/2005 7:13 pm ET by mom3texas
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2003
Wed, 12-14-2005 - 7:16pm

But I'm saying, that's what I did, Dental Outreach. Sitting side by side with the other health care outreach people and the education outreach people...and no one came.


Are we supposed to Outreach right into someone's living room? Just invite ourselves in and tell them that their lives suck and that they really could get their act together if they just lost weight/brushed their teeth/went to college?


Meldi
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2003
Wed, 12-14-2005 - 7:17pm

Wow, that sounds really horrible. I've never heard of anyone else coming up that way. Sheesh! Poor you!


Meldi
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-03-2005
Wed, 12-14-2005 - 7:19pm

I'm in teh middle ground on this debate.

I'm not against helping those in need ... as long as they don't freeload. Sure, give the mom with diabetes dialysis for free, but her husband needs to be working and she needs to be workign when she is healthy.

What I don't like to see are the ones using the public resources, that are able, but unwilling to work. You don't need to be working 90 hrs and week adn still be poor to get help, but by golly you better not be working 0 hours or 5 hours a week and expect help. (not the "able" distinction) If you want the govt to pay for your delivery and your child's medical expenses, then by golly start using some birth control after your 4th kid!

Not only does it piss me off to see people who just freeload, but it takes resources away from those who DO really need and deserve it. This stance was solidifed when I worked at a local hospital in college. There was a young boy (13?) that had severe diabetes, had had a relapse so to speak and was in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. His mother couldn't work because he was so ill (and did work when he wasn't so ill). His dad worked his ass off. They had one other kid. They desperately needed help with their medical bills. They had some health insurance, but it was very basic and didn't cover much of these expenses. They didn't qualify for any state or federal aid, but were on the verge of bankruptcy due to medical expenses and loss of wages.

While that kid was in the hospital, I took a phone call from a woman that asked, almost verbatim, "If I'm preganant and dont' have health insurance, will Medicaid cover my prenatal care, labor adn delivery? And the baby's bills?" to which I replied, "Yes, if you qualify for Medicaid, they cover childbirth costs." Her reply, "Oh good! My husband and I are thinking of having another baby but don't have health insurance and don't have savings. I guess we can do it now." She had told me her name earlier in the conversation. And I remembered her from my early days on the job with her last delivery. She already had several children ... three I think?

So, she'd get her expenses for a fourth, planned child .. but a family would go bankrupt over a child's misfortune to be diabetic.

Disgusting.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2003
Wed, 12-14-2005 - 7:19pm

No. My dh's limit is 8%. Yours is higher. We are already paying a higher % of taxes. We save as much as we want, but it's all after-tax dollars. You know that.


Meldi
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2003
Wed, 12-14-2005 - 7:23pm

No. We saw everyone. We accepted 'grants' (parents who applied for free dental care but did not have Medicaid...then we walked them through the process of signing up for Medicaid), Medicaid, all general dental insurance and cash. It cost $35 for a cleaning, exam and fluoride treatment.


And FTR, I worked there as a paid worker. For a couple of years I was out in the field managing a team and then I was in the office managing the insurance department. Out in the field was better.


Meldi

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