By Samantha Strong
Herald contributor
Single mothers are the most likely group of women out of all types of households in northeast Wisconsin to have earnings below the federal poverty line (FPL) at 38 percent – more than 7,000 households – according to the 2017 Report on the Status of Women in Northeast Wisconsin by the Women’s Fund.
This group is only second to female-headed households without children as the largest poverty demographic statewide.
It may seem obvious why a single mom may fall below the poverty line, but its effects are serious and more likely to carry on through generations. Women in general are paid less; and considering the costs of raising children with one income — if she is able to work — it’s easy to see how quickly costs can exceed income.
The rising costs of diapers, food and clothes are commonly referenced when discussing costs associated with raising children, but transportation, housing and childcare costs create additional barriers specifically for Oshkosh mothers in poverty.
One of the places where the effects of not supporting single moms in poverty are seen is in the schools, according to Julie Dumke, Oshkosh Area School District education foundation director. She said the lack of school funding combined with the rate of poverty among Oshkosh students is disastrous.
“As a district, we don’t have the same funds as other districts,” Dumke said. “Oshkosh is the fastest growing city of extreme poverty in the state of Wisconsin, but we’re still being funded from numbers from 15 years ago. We need to empower these moms and their kids to help break the cycle of poverty.”
How Oshkosh ranks
School district social worker Hannah Dumke said the city’s north side –Merrill Middle and Elementary schools, Oaklawn Elementary and North High – has the highest rate of students in poverty, referencing the district’s data of how many are receiving free or reduced lunch. Dumke said this is standard to determine a school’s rate of poverty because to qualify for the program, parents’ income must be at or below 130 percent of the FPL, which equates to $33,480.20 for a family of four in 2019. The 2019 FPL for a family of four is $25,750.
Julie Dumke said that in most other districts about one-third of eligible students qualify for free meals and two-thirds for reduced meals; in this district she said schools see the opposite.
There are 41.4 percent of OASD students who come from economically disadvantaged homes, compared with 41.9 percent in Fond du Lac, 18 percent in Winneconne, 26.8 percent in Omro, 25.7 percent in Neenah, 56.5 percent in Menasha, 12.7 percent in Kimberly and 35.8 percent for Appleton.
“We’re doing a lot of preventative work building resources to help new single mothers because it’s easier to make change before patterns have been formed,” Hannah Dumke said. “A lot of single moms don’t have a support system or family in the area, so they’re truly alone.”
She said a needs assessment of where there are gaps in the community could help support parents.
“We have so many hard-working moms who are just trying to do what’s best for their children,” she said.
Transit, care, housing
Almost every nonprofit organization contacted for this series agreed that the top three barriers Oshkosh women face revolve around transportation, housing, and childcare. These obstacles are even higher for a single mother.
Without a reliable vehicle, a mother can take a bus to work. But with childcare she has to stay within the bus schedule of between 6:15 a.m. and 6:45 p.m. If she has a car but needs to be to work before school starts, the children either take the bus or walk if no one else is available to take them.
A monthly pass for the GO Transit system is $35 or $3 for a single ride. There is no discount for students or multiple riders – each must have their own pass.
Hannah Dumke said some students walk up to two miles to school, which can lead to high truancy rates, especially in cold months.
“It’s especially hard for single working moms because if they’re at work early, they’re relying on their kids to get up, get ready and walk themselves to school or get on the bus,” Dumke said. “It’s impacting attendance rates – especially in the winter because two miles is a long walk.”
Childcare takes another big hit out of a budget with daycare rates ranging from $230 to $275 a week. Annually, that’s about $12,000 to $14,300. If a working mother chooses to go this route rather than finding a home-based option — typically less expensive — she will often make a decision on whether to work, as the majority of her salary will go toward child care if she doesn’t qualify for assistance.
The Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program offers some relief, just over $7,500 a year, or $625 a month. To be eligible, a family’s combined income must be equal to or less than 185 percent of the FPL, which means a mother with two children cannot make more than $39,460.50 annually. Additionally, the care center needs to meet certain requirements.
Not having a stable, safe place to sleep is the most consequential effect for a child of a woman in poverty, Hannah and Julie Dumke agree. Julie said there were 170 children in the district this last year who were homeless; they could be living in a motel, staying with a friend or a parent’s friend with multiple people in a room. Both mentioned the potentially traumatic effects of not having a consistent place to call home — anxiety, depression and even suicidal ideation as early as elementary school.
“Poverty can be a traumatizing experience,” Hannah Dumke said. “We need to work to end the cycle of poverty with single moms and give them more support.”
Next week: Understanding the distinct culture of poverty.
