Shanesha Taylor is just one of the thousands of single mothers struggling to make a suitable living for her and her children in the United States. It was during this struggling time that she, without child support or child care, had to bring her two children with her to a job interview. Shanesha left them in the car for no longer than 45 minutes, and she is now facing up to seven years in prison. Does this sound fair? At first it would seem as if Shanesha acted irresponsibly, but then again as the article suggests, we have to consider the structural policies and governmental factors that are contributing to single mother poverty and the tough choices they have to make regarding their children. Also, separating the children increases their chances of suffering developmental delays and emotional issues. Instead of wondering how Shanesha could have left her children in the car, we need to ask the question that could prevent more single mothers from having to face this horrible decision: how and what can be done by policy makers to help single mothers in America climb out of poverty in order for them to provide a safe and sufficient life for their children? This isn’t about what type of parent one is, it’s about the tough choices these single mothers are forced to make when they receive no help.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/05/11-3