Shouldn't families be able to acquire child care vouchers w/o having employment first?

Question

Most families have to seek either employment/education opportunities first before allowed vouchers for child care services. If they have no one to tend to their children prior to looking for employment or furthering their education the odds are greater that they will not gain either for lack of child care while seeking employment. Who takes a child on an interveiw or seeking to further their education?

Answer 1

Yeah, I'd agree with that.

Answer 2

Most people take care of their education and employment  BEFORE having children!!!  It's not up to the government to take care of you or your children, it's up to you to make wise choices for your family and take care of yourselves.  I think you should be grateful there are child care vouchers at all and you have no reason to complain, you have to take SOME responsibility for yourself and the situation you got yourself in!!!

Answer 3

What the h**l is a child care voucher?

Is that where the gov't pays for your childcare?  Jeez... Is this in the U.S.?  

Fabulous.... working people and the gov't is paying for childcare.  Why the h**l are people having kids when they can't even afford the childcare, much less everything else the child is going to need?

Please tell me this isn't in the U.S.

Answer 4

OH sure. No problem. We working folk are more than happy to pay for your kids child care on top of all the other taxes we pay! Give me a break. You do what people have done for decades, you get a friend of family member to watch the kid while you go on the interview or start the job. Be responsible.

Answer 5

Child Care vouchers in our area are based on income.  For a family to use vouchers, they MUST be employed or going to school.  If for some reason they are caught not doing so, they are reported to Job and Family services and take a chance on losing their vouchers.  Also, since it is based on your income, you may have to pay a small "co-pay".  I have seen these range from $7/month to $200/month.  As far as the child care goes, you will have to be willing to pay full child care price until you are able to obtain your vouchers.  Or, have somebody watch them for you while you get a job so you can start at the center with vouchers in hand.  

The Voucher program really is a good idea for lower income families, if it is not abused.  Child care costs are very high.  But, unfortunately, I have worked in daycare centers where I have seen countless people abusing them.  I have to agree, I would prefer my taxes NOT pay for somebody to have their child in school while they go to an amusement park with their friends.  Seriously.

But that is just how the vouchers work here in Ohio, I'm not sure how they work in other states.

Answer 6

I totally agree.  It is hard for me to take my three kids with me to interviews for jobs, and one of my kids is thirteen, so a "daycare" won't take him, but he is unable to stay home alone.  For what it costs to pay for someone to watch him plus my other two I would need a PhD, to get enough money to pay living expenses, food, and childcare!

Answer 7

Heidi your son is now old enough that he can stay home for a couple hours alone in the day and babysit the other two for you while you go on a job interview. This will also teach your son responsability and a good work ethic if you pay him say $5 an hour that you are gone (further leading to teaching him monitary value and being wise with money-teach him that so much needs to go to savings etc)

As for the original post, where is this that there is daycare vouchers? I can understand the NEED for these if it is available only to low and lower middle income families (and students) because if not you would be essentially working to pay for daycare (or unable to attend classes). However I do not think they should be available BEFORE you have a job. Hire a sitter for the hour or two you need for the interview. You most certainly CAN take a child/ren with you to hand in a resume.

The best advice my parents ever taught me is that you have to spend money to make money. To me and the rest of the logic world it makes sence to pay someone to watch your child for an hour so that you can go to an interview that will lead to employment, this is if you have nobodyt hat is willing to watch for free (ask around to friends if they have a child ask if they will watch for free this time and the next time they need a sitter for an  hour or two you take thier child, many parents are up for that, if you have no one with a child to do that say you are willing to work for them for an hour, clean their house or shovel a driveway for example-I am all for that!)

Seeking education is in no way in need of paid childcare, you fill in your applicationa dn drop it int he mail, simple as that.

My parents needed to go on welfair and live in government housing when I was a baby, they had someone watch me for job interviews and it paid off, they are now 23 years later they own the duplex they lived in while on welfair (government houseing offered them first to residents when selling them off), they own their own home that they live in, have two new cars, a couple toys and they are currently looking into buying two more homes for rental income. Like they said you have spend money to make money.

If you are willing to give a little you will get a lot in return if you are smart about it.

Answer 8

well i agree to the few answers that was posted,and i'm unfortunately in the same boat,i don't have family to watch my 2 young kids so i can work and 8 -10 hr job and i really don't like being on governement assistance,i feel belittled and poor,thats just me.i had my kids when i was in my mid 20's and i had a career in the medical field way before my kids we're even thought of..i have so many friends that dropped out,got pregnant...and didn't finish education,and they are badly financially struggling..its hard on yourself and kids when you can't provide enough

for them,but you have to do something to provide for them.my advice to you is leave your older child to tend to the kids for an hour go to a interview,ect..tell a neighbor or someone trustworthy near you to keep an eye on them in case something happens...

Answer 9

It's the old catch 22 isn't it? Yes, families should be able to get childcare for a short time at least before they get the actual job. It's the same thing as people who say that if you need a car you need to get a job. Well, that's great to say, but if you don't have transportation you can't get a job.

I'm with you- people need help, at least a little.

Answer 10

If the government did that, there would be people out there who were going off to the bar or whatever, and getting the government to pay for their babysitting! You get a job first.