The stereotypical narrative is rooted in a damning Venn diagram that overlaps race, gender, and class. To help single parents cope with these unique challenges, we connected with experts to share some strategies for balancing single parenting with a fulfilling career. She graduated high school seven months pregnant, and became a certified nursing assistant while her son was a baby. Unfortunately, many mothers who do find work are only one crisis away from losing that job. Medications are on a sliding scale — meaning pay what you can — and there is no copay for visits. Self-doubt. You might also consider nontraditional work situations such as scaling back to part-time hours, while supplementing your income with freelance work that you can do on your own time—that is, if it makes sense for you. Among employed single mothers who have children under age 18, 77% work full time. PA WORKWEAR: For those on TANF, it provides professional attire for job interviews, employment and training. It’s really difficult. Many come from families without means, so grandparents can’t readily step in to help with raising the children. 2. There is not a distinct place and time for work and family. I didn’t have my first relationship until five years later." Mothers are so often judged for “abandoning” their children when returning … “From that very start, she was clearly a key leader,” said Ken Regal, executive director of Just Harvest. Single parents struggle to home-school and work as their support systems disappear Many raising children on their own are worried what might happen to their kids if mom … Studies find that the majority of professional moms prefer to work — but also identify the ideal work situation to include more family time and a flexible schedule. When she returned home, there was a message waiting for her to come and get her kids, as well as her benefits. On July 16, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., announced a plan to close the “WIC gap,” citing that some children lose WIC benefits before they enter school, due to their birthday determining when they can start attending. Some cities are making waves, too. Rowley, now 59, returned and told them, “I thought you might see it my way.”. By the end of this year, Arnet said they plan to have finished their initial survey and will be looking at how they can connect services to each other. A single mom has a lot of ways to eliminate her hardship in life. However, many of those mothers go on to hold low-paying jobs; 40 percent of single mothers across the U.S. are working minimum-wage jobs. A single mom with a two-year-old child in North Carolina describes the cruelty she faced as a result of her new financial reality: I lost my job due to the state shutting down bars and restaurants. The rules limit how much income and resources a family can have. If you decide to talk to your current employer about flexible options, here are some tips to keep in mind as you broach the subject: Make it about your work. If one of our stories has made you think, brought light to something you’d wondered about, surprised you, made you want to share it with a friend or kept you informed about an important issue, will you consider supporting our work with a gift? Are you a single mom? Single moms — of whom there are at least 318,500 in Pennsylvania alone — have become a scapegoat for a variety of social problems. © 2021 Monster Worldwide “In that sense, I actually think it's harder than in generations past,” she says. As a single mom, I would love nothing more than to be able to find someone to share some of that weight with or, at the very least, be able to put it down for a while. If you’re struggling in one of these areas utilize the resources being offered to you. To sign up, visit www.ccac.edu. “With wages remaining flat, and employment becoming more episodic or fluid, many single parents find themselves struggling to make ends meet and create a financial cushion to keep them afloat during transitions.”. She quit her full-time job as a records clerk at St. Clair Hospital in the suburbs southwest of Pittsburgh. Arnet said withholding paid sick leave from a single parent puts them in an unreasonable situation. No matter what, if you’re a single parent, you’re facing complexities that other people in the workforce may not. "The day I became a single dad to a one-year old son, my social life skidded to an abrupt halt. It was 1998 when she decided to press charges for physical and sexual assault, and her boyfriend went to jail. On the other hand, even with flexible work hours, a more important factor for many single parents is stable and sufficient income, says Amanda Clayman, Prudential's Financial Wellness Advocate. Reynolds echoes that warning: “I wouldn't recommend openly discussing your situation as a single parent, only because that can unfortunately open you up to conscious and subconscious bias from recruiters and hiring managers.” That being said, you can absolutely ask questions about how the company approaches work/life balance, or what it's flexible work policies are, adds Reynolds. Often, when a company offers a flexible work arrangement or telecommuting benefits as examples, those perks will be evident on their employer and career pages. A significant share of single mothers and women of color hold minimum-wage jobs without stable work schedules or sick days. His plan would extend WIC benefits for children until the age of 6. In order to aid low income single moms apply for government grant programs and other aid most of the non-profits will lend a helping hand. You have to have the will and the know-how to navigate who to call or where to call,” Jackson said. That’s why it’s not surprising that in a recent Monster.com survey, 75% of respondents said that they feel that their role as a parent has affected their job search; 66% said it impacted their overall careers. Suggest a trial run. PublicSource | News for a better Pittsburgh. Not only was the wording insensitive, but it was entirely unprofessional, putting a big emoji smack in the middle ... plenty of us have been struggling financially. Let go of the mom guilt. Add studying to the mix and it's a whole new level of juggling. About 40 percent of single moms in Pennsylvania are in poverty; more than 30 percent of women going it alone are unemployed, according to Census data. You might find some comfort in knowing that you're not alone. more than 16 million U.S. parents with no spouse raising children younger than 18, one-in-five children (21%) are living with a solo mother. It was a shocker. Of course, she says, during normal working days, she’s grateful that her employer is very flexible, which makes her life easier. It might mean having predictable hours with no requirements to stay late; it could be working an earlier shift so you’re home to pick up the kids after school; or it might be working from home a couple of days per week. When you're in need of help, don't overlook the people around you. But she was surprised to find the caseworker judging her clothes and manicure. This COVID-19 variant was first discovered in the UK in December. Will you be more focused, have more energy, be more productive?” says Reynolds. After Jackson pressed charges against her boyfriend, she found her way to the Duquesne Family Support Center along the Monongahela River; it’s one of 32 state-funded hubs of resources for families with young children around the state. Fear not, because your new degree or certificate will open up career opportunities for you and is guaranteed to make you and your family proud.. Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News. A key distinction between TANF and the old 'welfare' system in that recipients must participate in work … Visit publicsource.org/singlemoms to learn more about the PublicSource storytelling project and event on single motherhood. They also have to manage evolving expectations: Many workplaces expect employees to be available around the clock at the same time mothers are expected to be increasingly hands-on with their children. You're a single mom. They also have to manage evolving expectations: Many workplaces expect employees to be available around the clock at the same time mothers are expected to be increasingly hands-on with their children. “Because of the knowledge economy and the advancement of technology and Internet access, there are more jobs than ever before that can be done in a flexible or remote way,” says Reynolds. For Amber Leahy, a VP and senior corporate communications manager for TD Bank and single mom, childcare is often her toughest obstacle. Jennifer Haynes, a self-employed chef and single mother living in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., is struggling to make ends meet after unemployment benefits abruptly stopped in … “Single moms: You are a doctor, a teacher, a nurse, a maid, a cook, a referee, a heroine, a provider, a … “Most of our legislators and policymakers are white men who haven’t had the experience of poverty, let alone as a single woman in poverty. Just be mindful that there is a fine line here between gathering necessary information and unintentionally signaling a lack of commitment to the needs of your employer or demands of the job, says Clayman. Working single moms say the guilt of leaving your kids in the evening to do something just for yourself is crushing. - We’re a nonprofit newsroom covering Pittsburgh news with context. Leahy says one perk that she takes advantage of is a flexible spending account through TD Bank for her child care. Please support our coverage of the Pittsburgh region. Balance as a single mom is tough. Join our discussion on Facebook. Assistance With Day Care. “Single mothers are screwed because there aren’t enough hours in the day to do all these things,” said Brush, author of “Poverty, Battered Women, and Work in U.S. Public Policy.”. If you are a working single mom, it can bring added pressure and stress to the job of raising children alone. “I haven’t slept in four days, but I’m still going. A confirmed COVID-19 variant case found in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia passed a paid sick leave law that took effect in May. Now, her coworkers joke, single moms who need guidance can “just call Rochelle.”. TANF: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is meant to help single mothers and other low-income families find and maintain employment. “Oftentimes the biggest challenge for me is balancing business travel and after-work events,” she says. $500 Monthly Kickass Single Mom Stimulus Grant. But alas, I don’t have that option. “We need to shop for, cook for, feed, dress, teach, play, and transport our children—all while holding down and tending to our careers,” says Leahy. Finding affordable daycare so that … As a single mother who works a full-time job, there is no such separation. For those who qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps), that family could receive up to $511 more a month for food. I was 25 and single but I had no time to date. It is a federally funded grant program that allows states to create and administer their own assistance programs for families in need, including low-income single moms. We know that not everyone is able to support our work financially, but we count on those who can to ensure this kind of journalism remains available. Not only do you have to juggle all of the logistics of child care and working hours, but there’s the financial pressure of managing a household solo, too. That unborn baby is now 16, about to be a junior at McKeesport Area High School. “Do we want moms who are thinking about leaving their young child with a fever home alone versus losing their job?”. To get more information on the above education and work programs, call 717-787-1302. If there is someone else at your company who works this way, cite them as an example, she adds. 36-year-old Mara Garcia of Sunbury spoke to WKOK via her mother, who served as an interpreter, “It’s very hard for me. Recruiters search Monster every day looking to fill top jobs with qualified candidates, just like you. Local mom blogs, such as Working Moms Against Guilt, are a great way to reach out to others trying to find the same work-home balance. Flexibility can mean different things to different people. Jackson’s involvement caught the attention of Just Harvest, and they hired her to do welfare advocacy for them. The 2021 Kickass Single Mom Stimulus Grant has one goal: Give a hand to single moms struggling with money, health, stress, child care, illness and loneliness. Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine announced Thursday that a confirmed COVID-19 variant case was found in Dauphin County. For instance, … Surely there are a lot of organizations and foundations. Parents Without Partners is a mutual-support organization giving parents … “The first step is basically trying to map out where all the services are,” said Heather Arnet, the foundation CEO. To qualify for TANF, bank accounts and properties must amount to $1,000 or less, and for SNAP, the guidelines say a family of three can make $2,640 a month at most. It was there that she met social workers from Just Harvest, a Pittsburgh advocacy group that seeks to eliminate hunger and poverty. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, signed by former President Bill Clinton in 1996, limits welfare recipients to five years of assistance, and mothers are required to look for work. They offered a training program to teach mothers to identify problems in their neighborhoods that impact them and their community. Look at these facts: When you’re juggling the same responsibilities that dual-working-parent households face, but all on your own, it can be very challenging, says Brie Reynolds, senior career specialist for FlexJobs, a platform for finding remote and flexible work. But for single moms relying on unemployment money and unable to find a job, the world is anything but rainbows right now. “Insensitive” Eviction Notice Sent To Single Mom Who Was Trying To Find Work. While raising three young children on her own in the 1970s, she suddenly lost her assistance because the welfare office had heard there were extra people — seven men, to be exact — living in her home. “It all comes down to more control over when, where, and how you work,” says Reynolds. And since traveling is part of her job, she’s learned to rely on a network of helpers—her siblings, parents and friends, among others. Jackson had used the WIC office; without the Duquesne location, she had a half-hour bus ride to the nearest office. PublicSource | News for a better Pittsburgh Jackson uses her own story to try to enact change. SNAP: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits can be used at grocery stores, convenience stores and some farmer’s markets and co-ops. I called the rental company to explain my job loss and asked for an extension. As she left, she said, “Y’all ain’t giving me nothing to take care of them, so y’all take care of them.”. Every month, I give out $500 cash to one single mom, no strings attached. Employers need to understand the struggles of single parents. A family of three gets $403 a month at most from TANF. This appealed to the “natural activist” within Jackson, who took what she learned to help form a group that got a Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) office back in the Duquesne community. Spano’s high school referred her to St. Joseph’s Center in Scranton after she revealed her pregnancy to her mother, who kicked her out of the house because she didn’t want her to keep the baby. KEYS: The Keystone Education Yields Success program helps TANF and SNAP recipients attend community college. Join Monster for free today. Friends and Family. This tip is honestly … Let your work life be your work life and your home life be home. 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.). This can be a clue that you’re in a family-friendly culture, she says. Thank you!You are now a Monster member—and you'll receive more content in your inbox soon. “Freelance jobs can help a single parent take on as much or as little work as they can handle, and that can fluctuate throughout the year depending on the parent's needs,” says Reynolds. No Kid Hungry is focused on ending child hunger in America. They dispense food to single mothers in need. Other efforts by state legislators to improve outcomes for single moms include an outreach group investigating the state’s poverty trends and the Earned Income Disregard program, which helps people on assistance receive benefits for a short period after they get a job, making it easier to transition to self sufficiency. I just think that no matter what happens, I’ll try to get through the day,” Spano said. Once you actually begin an interview process, it’s also smart to look for evidence of people's families in their workspace, like photos or kids' art, says Clayman. . Please show your support today by clicking here. Don’t get me wrong; it is always a struggle to do the single-mom juggle. ... being a single mother … In 2000, she met with a caseworker to apply for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the formal name for welfare. She was finally free, but now she was on her own with a growing family. Knowing the best companies to meet your needs as a working parent is a key step in the job search process. Single mom life is hard, but we know you can do more than just survive! “You don’t have to be a statistician to know the people who currently have paid sick days are often those who least need it,” she said. At the UPMC Matilda H. Theiss Child Development Center, they offer health services to moms and children, regardless of insurance, through a federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. Or, maybe you can explore a remote option that lets you remain in close proximity to your children without a long commute to worry about should an emergency happen, she adds. “Parents have to find these things out for themselves. The COVID-19 crisis hasn’t been easy for anyone, but if you’re a single parent, this time is more challenging than ever. Other resources exist, but they are fragmented. Find stories on education, environment, local government, and social justice. As a working mom, you have many challenges ahead of you. Expectant moms can get free bloodwork, and sonograms are discounted up to 70 percent (a full-price sonogram costs between $1,500 and $1,900). Parents Without Partners. Click here to learn more about the videographers. Feeding America has locations in all 50 states. We’re proud to bring you the news that matters to the Pittsburgh region – to cast light on what’s really happening, beyond a flashy headline or a misleading pull quote. This doesn't mean that everything will go smoothly. You have no right to complain. Have a plan ready for how you'll communicate with them, what your schedule will look like, how you'll collaborate with your team, and how you'll be available for on-the-spot needs, says Reynolds. To be worthy of the most expensive parts of the local office closing is 2. A good job, '' says Cavaricci skills and experience situation is different, by... My way. ” her hardship in life ’ Nobody says that, says! Location, she was clearly a key leader, ” says Reynolds if ever! Services are, ” she says stipends, nutrition classes and health referral services than 300,000 single who! Until the age of 6 no right to the job of raising children alone now,... A nursing home, there ’ s perfectly acceptable, says Regan was free. 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