A 35-year-old mother of four from Huntsville, Alabama.

Job Training
They ain’t never offered it to me. I don’t know nothing about it. I feel they should pay you for training. How the hell do they expect you to get ahead, when you get cut every time? I think there should be more opportunities for training.

Have you received job training recently? No

Employment
There aren’t many jobs with hours between the time your children go to school and get home. How do they expect your kids to get to and from school if you’re working? There are no buses, and you have to pay for before school and after school care at the school my kids go to. The damn pay isn’t good enough to keep up with the cost of living, especially if you’re a single person. I don’t think I will ever have a job making more than $6.00 an hour. A damn man can go out and find a job with no job experience, and no school, and make $8, $9 or $10 an hour. Women can’t find jobs that pay enough to make it on their own. The damn red tape they put you through to get a job ain’t worth it.

Have you gotten a new job, increased work hours or earnings in the recent past? No

Child Care
I don’t work, because I don’t have child care. My family can’t keep them for me. My mother’s too old. She gets mad if I ask her to keep them while I go to the store. I can’t afford child care. I can’t even get a break. That’s one of the reasons I stay so damn loony. If my kids’ school could just do something about after school care.

Have you received child care assistance to help you get to work? No

Transportation
It sucks! They expect you to get on a city bus which takes you all over creation. You have to wait to get on and you have to walk a mile to get to a shuttle stop. The welfare lady offers shuttle passes to you, but never gave them to me. I wouldn’t have a car if it weren’t for my boyfriend letting me borrow my car. In Florida, they have free shuttle buses, or they did have. I don’t know now. The last shuttle bus is at 5:30p.m. If you’re at work, how are you supposed to get home?

Do you have adequate transportation to get to and from work? Yes

Health
Well, I can’t stand for a very long time, because it makes me hurt. It puts me to bed crying. If I did have a job, my kids getting sick would affect my job. They get sick one after another. And then, I catch whatever they get.

Do you and your family have a regular doctor who normally provides care? No

Health Care
They should have more programs, like HEALS, at other schools. The kids wouldn’t miss as much school.

Do you now have health insurance of any kind (including Medicaid)? Yes

Additional information
No additional comments.

Last question: I expect things for myself and my family to stay the same/get better.

Demographics:
Author’s community or neighborhood of residence: Rolling Hills, Huntsville, AL
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Last year of school completed: 9th grade
Race: Caucasian
Number of own children at home: 4
Household size: 4 Children; 1 Adult
Does Author’s partner or spouse live in the household? No
Author’s gross cash earnings for previous calendar month: $0
Does Author currently receive any public assistance or welfare? Yes
Manner: Transcribed by collector