Tiffany Bond  🦞 🇺🇸Verified account

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.

It's also been damaging to his career. He will face the same stigma women do (if not worse) when he returns to the workforce.

We are almost all one industry shift or life emergency away from needing aid. We should design it so it's easy, enabling, and encouraging to return to not needing it as soon as and when possible, being realistic on that possible.