Role of Government in Supporting Workers Essay
In the old times, it was a known fact that women stayed at home and took care of the kids while the husband earned. However, a change has been in the recent times as women have taken it upon themselves to secure for their kids because of separation or because they wish to raise the child on their own. Being a single mother can be demanding especially in the present times as earning for children and paying for the bills can be tiresome. Women have been reported to be undergoing emotional distress as they are unable to support their families (Barnett & Marshall, 1992). Families that are supported by single mothers tend to suffer more as mothers cannot work the same amount as men can. Studies have shown that the families suffer not only economically but emotionally as well in houses where the mothers are in charge of the household (Orloff, n.d.).
Around the twentieth century, the U.S government presented the tax system along with social programs that centred on the ideal family. Programs such as social security were created for the benefits of women who depended on their husbands for support. The government has presented aid relief programs to mothers who are living on their own and have to raise the children at home. Highly educated women who are qualified in their field of works are benefitting from the current U.S approach regarding gender equality works. However, those women who have not had a proper education are working for low paid jobs which have made it difficult for them to support their families. Such women face a tough time as they have to pay for everything on their own without the support of anyone. As compared to men, women have a difficult time adjusting to the new role of a single parent as they are pushed to the extreme limits when it comes to earning for the family and looking after the children.
The Government needs to combine its policies so that the low earning women can also benefit from the aid and funding. Policies that pay for the child support from an early age on should be implemented so that the single mothers do not spend all their hard earned money on the tuition fee (Glynn, Farrell, & Wu, 2013). Support should be offered to working women so that they can afford to pay the bills and have food on the table. The U.S government has come up with different relief funds that assist the working mothers and take care of the child care expenses. Some of these funding programs are the children’s health insurance program, the Family and Medical Leave Act and the earned income tax credit. A government program by the name of WIC which refers to Women, Infants and Children program is an incredibly generous program as it has been helping the less privileged mothers. By implementing such programs, the U.S has taken a step forward in helping working mothers. But the country still has a long way to go in making the aid system better for single mothers. The program assists by running a nutritional program for expecting mothers and also their newborns.
The government is responsible for every citizen, therefore, to assist workers and mothers, more policies should be made that can help women cover up different expenses such as bills and child care expenses. American women who haven’t had the proper education cannot earn enough to support their families and cannot raise children on their own. They look towards the government for financial aid. New policies need to be made that help low earning mothers and those who aren’t working.
References
Barnett, R. C., & Marshall, N. L. (1992). Worker and mother roles, spillover effects, and psychological distress. Women & Health, 18(2), 9–40.
Glynn, S. J., Farrell, J., & Wu, N. (2013). The Importance of Preschool and Child Care for Working Mothers. Center for American Progress.
Orloff, A. (n.d.). What Can Government Do to Support Employed Mothers? | Scholars Strategy Network. Retrieved February 6, 2018, from http://www.scholarsstrategynetwork.org/brief/what-can-government-do-support-employed-mothers
