Reference no: EM133594701

Marcie is a widow raising two children, Rose (age 5) and Max (age 2). She works at a local fast food chain. Although the family lives in a state that offers free and universal prekindergarten, it is only provided for a half-day window of either 9 to 12 or 1 to 3, depending on the child's assignment. Marcie has therefore kept Rose enrolled at a regulated private family day care facility, for which she received a subsidy through her state's welfare- to-work program. This arrangement has been a lifesaver for Marcie, because her child care provider, Joan, accommodates Marcie when she runs late due to her job or public transportation holdups. Joan is also flexible when medical or other expenses leave her behind on child care payments. Joan allows Marcie to change her hours to accommodate Marcie's schedule, which changes bi-weekly. This flexibility has limits, though. Lately, Max has had frequent ear infections, and Joan strictly enforces her "no sick children" policy. Marcie's employer is required to provide family leave, but because it is unpaid, Marcie can't afford to take it. Sometimes she can leave Max with her elderly aunt. Other times, she gives him cold medicine, takes him to Joan's, and hopes for the best.

Marcie's employer recently offered her a position as shift manager, which comes with a pay increase and more regular hours. At first Marcie was thrilled. She had been working hard toward this position, which would strengthen her résumé. However, when she reviews the compensation package with her case manager, she learns that the small increase in pay would trigger what researchers have called the Cliff Effect, meaning that it would push her out of financial eligibility for a host of programs on which she and her children depend. These include the child care subsidy and food assistance. Marcie learned that there are tax benefits available for child care, but even with the raise, she would not make enough money to take advantage of these. When Marcie calculates the lost benefits, she realizes that she cannot afford to take the new position.

The brief hope provided by the prospect of her promotion has left her even more frustrated with her current plight. One option that Marcie considered is becoming a day care worker herself. She thinks it will allow her to be with her children. She looked into a number of day care centers that had job openings, but even with reduced tuition for employees, she could not afford to place her own children in such a center. She has decided to open her own family-based child care. However, she does not plan to register it or seek licensure due to the high cost of accreditation. This will mean that she cannot accept children with subsidies, but she can charge less. Many of her neighbors, who struggle to afford care, would be willing to place their children with her. Although ideally Marcie would want training to make sure that Rose, Max, and the children she cares for would be well-prepared for school, at this point, Marcie cannot afford it. She plans to look into free courses offered by her state.

1. What specific policies impacted Marcie and her children?

2. How do existing policies limit or expand Marcie's options to secure appropriate, high-quality education and care for her children?

3. How might policies affect current and future opportunities for Max and Rose?

4. What roles could a social worker play in helping Marcie and her family - think at the micro, mezzo and macro social work levels.