Tiffany Bond  🦞 🇺🇸Verified account

I do agree we need better job opportunities. Some people truly cannot work and are considered "able-bodied" because they have not had the resources/ability to be declared disabled.

Some people, usually women, cannot work because they get caught in the space where they are qualified for minimum wage jobs and childcare would be more than they can earn. I just had a trial on this Friday.

Many (most?) of the cases I see where childcare exceeds employment earnings were created in monogamous relationships where there had been a choice for one party, usually mom, to be a stay at home mom. The $ worked for one household but not two.

My point is that when they had the children, they did not have an intention or plan to be a burden to the system. Life changes. Cheating, abuse, disability, etc - many reasons put folks where they suddenly need a safety net. The question is how to be allocate the resources.

It's not uncommon in Maine for one party to take care of the children so the other party can earn more, work overtime, etc. It's not necessarily irresponsible or a luxury.

My husband worked very hard as a merchant marine to support us. The pay structure changed at the same time childcare costs drastically increased. It was more financially responsible and logistically reasonable for me to work more hours and him to stay with our boys.