For centuries, women have been constrained by their social
impact. Seen by society as maternal and docile, they have been forced to stay
at home with their children while their spouse is the “breadwinner.” That
being said, this is often not the case in a modern society!! Women now must
work a 9 to 5 job while taking care of their children, doing household chores,
and carrying the emotional labor for their family. In fact, this is often important in that it is a way for the woman to be free from dependency upon her spouse. Childcare is expensive and quality care is hard to come by. By creating a universal childcare system,
women will be encouraged to enter the workforce or continue their educations. Women cannot be truly liberated until they are able to place their child in a safe and trustworthy public day care.
The majority of mothers in the United States are “working moms”. According to the US Department of Labor, working mother are quite typical. In fact, “Seventy percent of mothers with children under 18 participate in the labor force, with over 75 percent employed full-time.” These are all mothers and this statistic does not account for single mothers. The US census reports that there are over ten-thousand single mothers and that number continues to steadily incline. In order to provide for their families, these women must work. Holding down a job is next to impossible if they cannot find adequate childcare. In order to work, single and married mothers alike must be afforded the right to universal child care.
Quality childcare in most areas costs “more than tuition at a public university.” This is a massive obstacle for women as they must find this funding before starting their job or continuing their own education. How can a working mother pay for childcare before her job even begins?? Often times, mothers find themselves in a bind where they must settle for inadequate childcare because it is all they can afford. In situations like these, childcare facility workers are paid low wages. When a worker is paid less than labor, their work is affected. In this field, that can lead to child neglect. A mother cannot be free to work during the day if she is worrying about her child at day care. This is a natural thing to be worried about and one cannot blame the mother!!
With more government support, affordable, quality, childcare
can be accessible to all working women in the United States. When women can be
reassured that their child is receiving adequate care, they are finally free to
focus on their work or education. Working mothers deserve this basic right in
order to continue providing for their families!