When adults cannot cover their expenses, children pay the price
While children pack their backpacks for the academic year, many will carry more than school supplies – they will carry the weight of the economic stress of their parents and adults around them. Whether it is a parent, grandfather, or a child care worker or a teacher, many adults who are giving our children struggle to meet their needs.
Millions live in families that lack sufficient food, housing, clothes and other basic needs. Nearly 1.5 million children suffer from homelessness, and about 14 million children live in homes with food insecurity. This instability publishes in the semester, which affects not only the presence of children, learning, behavior, and opportunities, but in the end the health of our economy and our society.
While many factors contribute to an educational system that struggles – including a school system that is increasingly deficient and increasingly social safety network – we cannot ignore the economic pressures facing adults who depend on children every day. Good jobs that provide stability, fair wages and dignity are not only important for workers – they are necessary for the success of children and building a future in which all children can flourish.
Wage is clearly an important part of the child’s welfare. Upper income families are able to better provide nutrition and health care, safer housing and more access to enrichment activities outside the home and school. Children who live in families under the poverty line, on the other hand, have worse cognitive development and educational results. Low social and economic situation for children can also contribute to long -term health results as well.
According to the current population survey, more than 10 million families with children have an income of less than $ 50,000 annually, with about $ 5 million in less than 30,000 dollars. Single mothers have average income of only 40,000 dollars and more than one in four live in poverty.
Unstable scheduling contributes to the economic insecurity of many parents. Workers are likely to work in the service sector-an unpopular industrial industry-in contact or receive a little bit for the work date, or have changes at the last minute on their schedules. Research from the SHIFT project shows that these tables are related to economic insecurity, the health of weakest mothers and parents who spend less time in activities with their children, which leads to worse behavioral results for children.
Injuries or diseases in the workplace are all very common, families can completely destroy. Parents’ injuries at work lead to emotional and behavioral issues for their children. Stress in the workplace is associated with a decrease in emotional social development for children and a higher opportunity for anxiety.
Respect, sound, dignity, and functional satisfaction at work also have unavoidable effects for children. Mothers who have authority and appreciation at work with more mentally healthy children. Children who have parents who report high levels of job satisfaction and who test work as a place for creativity, challenge and enjoy emotional health.
People who inspire and educate our children face jobs that undermine children’s success. The average child care workers is only $ 14.30 per hour. Paraeducators and teaching assistants have an average annual salary of more than $ 35,000. According to Rand, only more than a third of teachers say their salaries are sufficient while many spend part of their precious resources on school supplies for children who teach them.
It calls for a lack of quality of job for parents, careers and teachers Question: How can we expect children to flourish and transform our country successfully when their parents and many people around them work in jobs that perpetuate instability?
Job quality challenges work deeper. We tell our children that you can be anything you want, and the hard currency comes to its fruits, and education is the way to a good life. Many children notice something completely different. They see the dreams of their parents postponed to discrimination or no chance. They watch their parents work hard, only to struggle to earn enough to get, and see how important the skills are not always the silver bullet of economic security. They see what we often prepare and offer as a country that are two different things.
Unfortunately, we are at a time when federal support decreases for both education and labor laws that support workers. However, we know what to do. Companies can do more to build better jobs with benefits that come from participating employees who pay productivity and innovation.
It creates decent wages, predictable timelines, benefits, progress of progress, and healthy workplaces healthy employees who can better support children in their lives. Some companies do more. UPS has tried to support children’s care to enhance retaining.
But companies cannot do it alone. Many government governments and local governments have approved minimal wages and laws that impose the time paid to support workers better. Oregon has a state level law to provide workers with more stable and predictable timelines. Maine provides monthly salaries to increase the salaries of child care workers. Many states boost the salaries of teachers in the efforts made to keep teachers. Others, like Iowa, launched vocational training programs to help Paraducators “win and learn” their way until they become teachers.
The guaranteed income is other strong and supportive countries and cities that depend on enhancing the ability of parents to care for their children and address the lack of good -wage jobs in the labor market. Illinois recently doubled the state tax in the state to $ 600 per month per child under the age of 12 for qualified families.
However, there is a lot to do for investment. The government can invest in care infrastructure and support good jobs for adults in children’s lives. We can stay away from the important benefits that are related to our work and ensure that more workers get critical needs such as health care and paid leave. We can pass labor laws that guarantee that work is somewhat safe and compensated and that workers have a voice in shaping their working conditions.
If we want our children to believe who we say we realize their dreams, then supporting good jobs in the “village” that we all know is necessary to support them is necessary – it is necessary for the health and success of our country and our society.
Matt Helmer is the director of job quality and welfare of workers in the Economic Opportunities Program for the Asbin Institute.
