Low-Income Single Moms Struggle to Survive in Recession with No Health Insurance

In California, we are facing the worst recession in the past twenty-five years. Every week, 9to5 California Chapter of the National Association of Working Women receives calls at our offices in Los Angeles and San Jose from low-income mothers struggling to survive.

We hear stories about the plight of low-income mothers who work at jobs that lack health insurance and paid sick days. Many are afraid to go to the doctor because they can't afford to pay. Other low-income mothers go to work sick because they can't afford to stay home. And others are getting fired for just being sick.

Consider the plight of Lupe who lives in San Jose and is a single low-income mother. Lupe worked for a major company in Silicon Valley part-time five days a week on a regular schedule. She loaded up trucks with packages and other mail in the early hours of the morning.
 
Lupe didn't have paid sick days at her job. When she got sick and had to undergo emergency gall bladder surgery, she missed work for a week. Despite the fact that her mother notified Lupe's employer about her illness, her employer fired her. Lupe is now looking for a new job.

Over six million California workers like Lupe lack paid sick days. Proposed California paid sick days bill (AB 1000) would allow workers to accrue paid sick days that can be used to care for themselves or a sick family member. San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Milwaukee all have sick day laws.
 
In addition, seven million Californians lack health insurance. Single payer health care bill (SB 810) would provide all Californians with health care and the right to choose their own health care provider.

9to5 California also connects with low-income mothers who are on CalWORKS. Under the CalWORKS program, a family of three receives aid in the amount of $723.00 in Santa Clara County. That's less than $9,000 a year.
 
The Insight Center for Community Economic Development wrote an article last year titled, "How Much Is Enough in Santa Clara County?" According to its article, the Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Standard in 2008 was $59,946 per year for a family comprised of an adult with a preschooler and school-aged child in Santa Clara County. This standard is more than six times the current CalWORKS grant for a family of three.
 
Consider also the plight of Sylvia who is a low-income mother who lives in San Jose. Sylvia and her children are on CalWORKS. Every month, Sylvia struggles to pay her rent and other bills. Sylvia doesn't understand why the state legislature refused to give a cost-of-living increase for CalWORKS.
 
It is wrong that the government chose to balance the budget on the backs of low-income parents and their children. It is also wrong that there are millions of Californians, who lack paid sick days and health care.

We should not ignore the struggles of single low-income mothers who are trying to provide for their families in these dire economic times. Their children represent California's future. It is our hope that the state legislature will pass legislation that will provide universal health care and paid sick days. Single low-income mothers and their children deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.


Cathy Deppe lives in Los Angeles and is the lead organizer for 9to5 California Chapter of the National Association of Working Women. For more information about 9to5 California, visit http://www.9to5california.org.

Editor's Note: Read Original Article posted at: www.californiaprogressreport.com. Peave a comment. So far, the only comment posted to Cathy's Op-Ed is a Rush Limbaugh styled attack on "single mothers on welfare," "minorities" and "illegal immigration."