a child raising a child

Amanda fell pregnant at the age of 16 and because she refused her mother’s ultimatum to have an abortion she was forced to turn to welfare for help.

"The welfare officer found me a place to share with other pregnant girls," explains Amanda, "and we were like kids playing at being mommies until one by one we went into labor and had all sorts of complications that nobody tells you about."

"I was in labor for two days," sighs Amanda, "it was so scary. Anyway, I survived and then I spent three very happy years on welfare growing up with my baby."

"At 16 I needed to be taken care of,” explains Amanda. “I didn't want to worry about where the next penny was coming from. I needed to feel secure, and I needed time to adjust to being a single mom without the usual family support."

"I was physically and emotionally immature," adds Amanda. "I had no drive, no aims and I really was unemployable. I was a child raising a child."

"At times I found the responsibility of raising a child on my own to be overwhelming," confesses Amanda. "Every now and again the welfare officer would call and suggest that I should find a casual job, but I wasn't interested."

"Not every mother is capable of juggling work and family - and I certainly wasn't ready to take on any more responsibilities and make my situation worse than it was already."

Read more about Amanda’s story:

bleak future on welfare

a wasted education?

burdens and blessings

I didn't know I was pregnant!

health problems of welfare moms

Cancerians, motherly types?

abortion or welfare?