Introduction
Along with the development of a particular individual, his needs expand, which increases costs to maintain living and makes the person earn more money. The situation is aggravated by the fact that it is becoming more and more expensive to support children in a family due to the fact that prices for necessary services and goods are rising. In addition, for a child it is necessary that all spheres of life are provided in sufficient volume so that the upbringing and development of the individual is effective. The maintenance and care of children is extremely expensive, so a solution must be developed for this problem.
The Maintenance and Care of Children
From an economic point of view, the maintenance of children becomes more and more unprofitable over time. This is due to the fact that prices are constantly rising both due to inflation and the marketing policies of large corporations. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the volume of necessary goods is often incommensurable with the income of average parents (Lee and Parolin 12). Fact is that diapers, baby medications and toys are essential because they directly affect a child’s quality of life. According to a study, marketers inflate the price of children’s products by an average of 15%, despite the fact that their conventional counterparts are cheaper (Lee and Parolin 56). These products are among the most expensive on the market, resulting in savings for parents in these areas (Lee and Parolin 43). According to a sociological survey among criminal elements, most of them had an unsatisfied childhood (Lee and Parolin 37). This is explained by the fact that an unhappy or poor childhood entails future teenagers and adults with complexes and mental trauma.
One of the most effective solutions is that the state, in the form of separate organizations, should provide financial support to parents in the field of childcare. It seems logical and necessary to introduce a system of grants by child care centers (Brown et al. 43). In this case, low-income families, where one of the parents is unemployed, on maternity leave or with a low salary, have the opportunity to fully meet all the needs of the child (Dwyer 54). In other words, thanks to the competent calculation of the required amount, authorized organizations will not go bankrupt.
However, opponents of the position may argue that there is no guarantee that these grants will be used for the intended purpose. This argument is incorrect due to the fact that the grant is characterized by a direct and single direction for implementation. In other words, families that receive a grant will not be able to spend it on other purposes, but solely on meeting the needs of the child (Krase and Delong-Hamilton 89). This should be enshrined in law, and citizens will be required to provide evidence of spending and information about them to the appropriate authorities.
Another problem to be identified is that there are too many families for the centers to finance them all. The state and child care centers do not have the budgetary capacity to provide assistance to all those in need. According to statistics, about 53% of families believe that they need financial support, but only 11% of them are really in a difficult economic situation (Pecora et al. 64). Only those families that can prove and justify the need for material assistance should receive a grant (Krase and Delong-Hamilton 64). This can be done with the help of an income statement or an expert assessment of the quality of life of a particular child (Pecora et al. 77). The grant program will avoid waste and will be protected from parental fraud.
Conclusion
As a conclusion, it should be noted that the high cost of maintaining children is relevant for modern society. Based on this thesis, it is necessary to develop programs to support low-income families in this area. Grants given out by child care centers may be the most effective tool to combat the lack of care for the education of individuals. Clear rules and selection criteria will help avoid misunderstandings or malicious intent in the use of public funds.
Works Cited
Brown, Christopher, McMullen, Mary B., and File, Nancy. (Eds.). The Wiley Handbook of Early Childhood Care and Education. Wiley, 2019.
Dwyer, James G. (Ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Children and the Law. Oxford University Press.
Krase, Kathryn, and Delong-Hamilton, Tobi. Child welfare. Preparing Social Workers for Practice in the Field. Taylor & Francis, 2020.
Lee, Emma K., and Zachary Parolin. “The Care Burden during COVID-19: A National Database of Child Care Closures in the United States.” Socius, 2021.
Pecora, Peter J., Whittaker, James K., Barth, Richard P., Borja, Sharon., and Vesneski, William. The Child Welfare Challenge. Policy, Practice, and Research. Taylor & Francis, 2018.