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What Is Child Care Programs?

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Introduction
The US department of health and human services has indicated a commitment to “reduce the dependency of needy families through the promotion of job preparation, work and marriage” and to “provide assistance to needy families so that children can be cared for in their own homes” (Office of Family Assistance, 2017). With changes in family dynamics and the shifting economy it is increasingly less plausible for single-earner households to achieve economic stability (Stevens, 2017). Parents who are working and participating in job preparation programs cannot be present at home to care for their children. This may be the cause of people receiving cash benefits for prolonged periods of time and not working (Adams, Spaulding, & Heller, …show more content…

Historically, the concept of working mothers has been negated by social welfare policies (Abramovitz, 1992). The implementation of such programs could signify a turn from the imposition of the patriarchy regarding familial structure and provide a more solution focused approach to low-income families. Abramovitz (1992) discussed the family ethic and social reproduction as primary motivators to the introduction of several social welfare programs. The idea that childcare should be accommodated and considered in workforce development programs is in direct contrast to the proposed function of social welfare programs. As such it allows for women to enter into or remain in the workforce and to have families not bound by patriarchal gender roles (Adams, Spaulding, & Heller, 2015). Abramovitz later discusses the tendency of programs that serve the middle and upper classes to remain fully funded and not have their budgets cut or redistributed while those programs that serve only poor and working-class people are underfunded and further restricted (Abramovitz, 2001). Funding for various educational and occupational grants diminish the funds allocated for workforce development programs on federal, state, and local levels. As such there are insignificant resources to fund the initiative of childcare provision or accommodation (Adams, Spaulding, & Heller, 2015). Martin (1990) expressed that the welfare state has three macro

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