ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 18, 1996 TAG: 9602190085
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-16 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: ADRIANNE BEE
Beverly Dawson, 30, of Christiansburg, says lack of affordable child care is why she hit "rock bottom."
She lost her cab-driver job in August because of child care and medical problems, she says, and now must depend solely on Aid to Families with Dependent Children to raise Cameron, 4, and Greg, 8.
Nine out of 10 Montgomery County families on welfare are led by single women such as Dawson.
"I had no baby-sitter on the weekends. My boss would sometimes have to watch my kids," she says. When she also had to have surgery, she lost the job.
Being on assistance is not easy, said Dan Farris, director of Montgomery County Social Services. "Finding adequate child care is a problem for some."
Today, Dawson, who has been on and off welfare about five years, is in school, working on her General Educational Development degree with plans to become a certified nursing assistant.
She also attends parenting seminars, sponsored by Head Start, and is discussing milestones in child development. Her son Greg recently was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, dyslexia and auditory processing deficit, so now Dawson has the additional worry of how to pay for his treatment.
There is no more money in the bank, and Dawson says she is tired of telling her children "no" when they want something, or having to borrow money for shoes so her son can go to school.
Farris described the financial reality of an AFDC family: "If you had to survive on about $296 a month, pay your rent, utilities ... you may get food stamps for food - not other things like clothing. You're still living on the edge."
Are there places to turn to for such essentials as children's shoes? "We try to make use of services in the community, churches, local civic groups - asking them to provide what they can," Farris says.
``The concern, though, is `will these additional requests tax too much? Will these groups be able to handle spillover?'''
For extras, such as Christmas, Dawson has to rely on the kindness of strangers. "I totally count on things like the Christmas Store," she says. "I have no money for Christmas." Greg's and Cameron's names also hung on Kmart's Angel Tree awaiting a benefactor.
"I hate it; despise it," says Dawson about being on welfare. "But I'm grateful. It pays the bills."
LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: GENE DALTON/Staff. Beverly Dawson, 30, depends on Aid toby CNBFamilies with Dependent Children to help take care of her boys Greg,
8 (not pictured), and Cameron, 4. color.