If you rely on Social assistance, what would you do if it didn't exist? - Page 3

[Avani]

Here where i live there isn't a LPN program but an LVN program. I don't have all of the pre req's yet for that program. Plus i would be required to attend 6 am clinics and i don't have child care available for that. There is a Nursing Assistant program that starts in the fall. However classes are Mon-Thurs 6:45 am-2pm. So i would have to have a babysitter who could come to my house and get all 6 kids ready for school and/or daycare. Take kids to school and pick them up. Plus one of those kids will be a newborn baby. So i would have to have someone willing to basically raise a newborn. This is messy. I need to figure out what to do.

[JTA Mom]

What about a slight career change? Have you thought about Medical Transcription? It's in demand, the courses are done at home, as is the work? It would be a nice stop-gap between now & when you get your nursing degree. You'd be bringing in money & could be much more flexible about class times, etc.

Ami

[mnnice]

Originally Posted by Avani

Here where i live there isn't a LPN program but an LVN program. I don't have all of the pre req's yet for that program. Plus i would be required to attend 6 am clinics and i don't have child care available for that. There is a Nursing Assistant program that starts in the fall. However classes are Mon-Thurs 6:45 am-2pm. So i would have to have a babysitter who could come to my house and get all 6 kids ready for school and/or daycare. Take kids to school and pick them up. Plus one of those kids will be a newborn baby. So i would have to have someone willing to basically raise a newborn. This is messy. I need to figure out what to do.

1. When I first saw this thread I was hoping it was a philosphical discussion. I'm sorry that it's real life to you


2. If you live in a place with lots of shift workers a lot of daycares open at 5:30. While getting 6 kids out the door by 6:00 or 6:15 sounds pretty overwhelming you are going to have to figure out how to get everyone ready at some point if your going to attend clinicals or WOTH . Personally, if I worked as a LPN or CNA I'd choose 6-2 before any other shifts because you can be home when the kids get home and make supper (and get ready for the next day) . I've gotten two kids out the door and ready for daycare by 6:15 by myself plenty of days. I'm not going to lie and say it was fun but the stress of your current situation can't be a picnic either.

[Smithie]

Move to Maine.

I'm serious. This is my home state, and it's very different from the rest of the country in many ways (extreme whiteness, extremely low population density) and one of the way it's different is that social services have not gone all to heck yet.

With that many small kids, I would say that you need a few more years of being SAH before you complete the process of educating yourself and becoming self-sufficient. It's going to happen for you, but this is not the time. Your kids need you!

(There are probably a few other states that still have fairly liberal social assistance policies, so if the cold weather is a dealbreaker then keep looking. But really, Maine is great if what you need is Medicaid and a monthly TANF check.)

[dsaucone]

Originally Posted by Avani

Here where i live there isn't a LPN program but an LVN program. I don't have all of the pre req's yet for that program. Plus i would be required to attend 6 am clinics and i don't have child care available for that. There is a Nursing Assistant program that starts in the fall. However classes are Mon-Thurs 6:45 am-2pm. So i would have to have a babysitter who could come to my house and get all 6 kids ready for school and/or daycare. Take kids to school and pick them up. Plus one of those kids will be a newborn baby. So i would have to have someone willing to basically raise a newborn. This is messy. I need to figure out what to do.

Look around. There might be more than one option. One of the colleges I looked at offered evening classes. Call nursing homes and hospitals. See if they have a NA program. Here we do. We pay for it, then employ you. You have to stay a year or pay back the program $. Some classes start at 7, some 8, some evenings.

[K1329]

I see alot of people recommending student loans to you. I want to caution you that while they might be a quick fix now, you must look at the big picture. Whatever program you're in, how much will you earn when you get out? How much will you be able to afford to pay towards your debt? The maximum undergraduate federal student loan borrowing for you is 57,500.00. That's a pretty big note to pay off when you will also want to use your income for living expenses, etc. Definately take the time to research what your note will be and how much of your projected income it will take to pay it off. Do the homework so you won't find yourself unable to pay it and with bad credit down the road.
That said, the govt. also has several new loan forgiveness programs in place. One is that if you work for a nonprofit (many hospitals are nonprofits) for x amount of years, a portion or all of your federal loan is forgiven. Here is a link that provides loan forgiveness info: http://www.finaid.org/loans/forgiveness.phtml.

Student loans can be a valuable tool when used with caution. Good luck!

[shayinme]

Originally Posted by Smithie

Move to Maine.

I'm serious. This is my home state, and it's very different from the rest of the country in many ways (extreme whiteness, extremely low population density) and one of the way it's different is that social services have not gone all to heck yet.

With that many small kids, I would say that you need a few more years of being SAH before you complete the process of educating yourself and becoming self-sufficient. It's going to happen for you, but this is not the time. Your kids need you!

(There are probably a few other states that still have fairly liberal social assistance policies, so if the cold weather is a dealbreaker then keep looking. But really, Maine is great if what you need is Medicaid and a monthly TANF check.)

I live in Maine and I work in social services. I will caution and say that while social services in Maine are still more generous than other parts of the country, that changes are coming. On TANF the OP would be required to vounteer or work a certain amount of hours, I know this first hand because I get several of the volunteers at the center I run because they have to meet their TANF requirements.

The one program that is very unique to Maine though is the Parents as Scholar program which if you get in it will waive the federal life rules on TANF as long as you are working towards a degree. Plus there are funds available to help with childcare and transportation, a friend of mine got her BSW and MSW while on that program.

That said the state budget here is not pretty so cuts in social services are expected and happening, right now its providers who are feeling the cut (state reducing contracts, etc) and I think its only a matter of time before it hits all over.

By the way, yes Maine is a pretty homogenous state, but there is some diversity here at least in southern Maine. Heck, I live here and I am not white.

Good luck!

Shay

[Avani]

I have to be careful with my move because i have to prove to the court why i am moving and why it is in my kids best interest. Plus since i have already filed a move away i now have to contend with the father contesting it because he has to control me in any way he can. His declaration contesting is full of lies and yucky so hopefully it will still go in my favor. these things are so he said/she said that i have to get my point across very clearly and carefully. My best case scenario would be to stay home with the newborn for at least a year and my 2 year old then get the 4 year old into preschool. THen i would have 4 kids in school. At that point getting my schooling done would be more feasible, although still difficult. I would need enough income to get by though. If i could swing that i would be in a better place altogether. The school daycare accepts kids starting at 15 months which means i could have the toddler and babe with me at school if i waited a year. I wouldn't mind a career change, i need something employable without too much schooling that could support me and 6 kids. There must be something. You ladies rock with all of your help. WIsh me luck with the mediation on Wednesday with my crazy ex. Being nine months pregnant and dealing with this is not so easy.

[AndrewsMother]

Have you thought about teaching. The Teach grant pays $4000 a year towards some education degrees. Most if not all of the pre req's can be completed online, if your local college offers distance education classes. I would not suggest any of the for profit universities. If your local college does not offer distance education classes I can think of many public universities that do, and will allow you take the classes that you need no matter where you live.

Even thought you have children at home 2 or 3 classes a semester can be completed so that in two years when you are ready to take face to face classes you will only have two more year until you finish your degree.