Two Articles of Interest

Manamana — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 09:19:53 -0500

Two articles came out this week that I thought were pretty interesting.

The New York Times’ article, “Poor Behavior is Linked to Time in Day Care” sparks anger, guilt (note the title: “Am I Hurting My Child With Day Care?”), analysis, and snark.

Universities Need to Tackle the Daycare Dilemma

June Anteski — Fri, 2 Feb 2007 00:06:14 -0600

As a single mom, I knew that going to law school would be a challenge. However, I was not warned of the lack of affordable daycare in the area nor the lack of assistance provided by DHS or TEA to provide law students with the basic services we need to successfully make it through law school.

I have encountered a Federal Guideline, 3.2.5 for Restrictions on Student Status, that bars graduate students studying "law, physical therapy, and medical studies" from collecting daycare vouchers from DHS that they would otherwise be financially eligible to receive. This guideline, in effect, bars single moms from receiving government assistance based on a profession that they aspire to enter. This guideline must be changed because it conflicts with state and national objectives and prevents single moms from entering professions that our country needs the most to meet the needs of retiring baby-boomers. These professions are also the ones that arguably offer the best opportunities to ensure that the recipients will be able to support themselves and get off the welfare rolls once they complete their studies.