Valerie Polakow – författare

One out of five children, and one out of two single mothers, lives in destitution in America today. The feminization and "infantilization" of poverty have made the United States one of the most dangerous democracies for poor mothers and their children to inhabit. Why then, Valerie Polakow asks, is poverty seen as a private issue, and how can public policy fail to take responsibility for the consequences of our politics of distribution? Written by a committed child advocate, Lives on the Edge draws on social, historical, feminist, and public policy perspectives to develop an informed, wide-ranging critique of American educational and social policy. Stark, penetrating, and unflinching in its first-hand portraits of single mothers in America today, this work challenges basic myths about justice and democracy.

How can child care be structured to protect both the interests of children and the rights of women? Must children suffer the "loss" of their childhood through institutional care? Polakow uses her observations of pre-school centers--including profit-run, federally funded, community, and Montessori institutions--to open the "windows of daycare."

Homelessness strikes in all types of nations, from wealthy western nations to poor undeveloped countries. Each government and culture attends to this worldwide problem differently. This work collects eleven case studies of selected countries from around the world in order to offer a wide perspective on the dilemma of homelessness. Students can use this ready reference to compare and contrast homelessness populations, analyze the ways in which various countries approach this issue, and to evaluate what is precluding and encouraging this reaching issue.The problem of homelessness is clearly defined here from a global perspective. In addition, the history and resulting conflicts that have risen from homelessness are outlined. This ready reference analyzes the metamorphosis of the homelessness, what solutions have been suggested, and how effective these solutions have been. Students will learn to think critically about homelessness and what the future holds for each country as it battles with this seemingly unavoidable occurence.

Documents the economic, educational, and existential struggles that single mothers in poverty confront in the current welfare climate.Shut Out portrays in vivid detail the economic, educational, and existential struggles that single mothers confront as they fight back against a welfare-to-work regime that denies them access to higher education and obstructs their aspirations as autonomous women, determined to exit poverty and attain family self-sufficiency. The book is a unique blend of policy analysis and lived realities. The voices of student mothers fighting to stay in school, and organizing for a different future, are embedded in an analysis grounded in the educational experiences of women in poverty across the states. Harsh and punitive public policies that are designed to keep poor women trapped in low wage work are juxtaposed against the actions of those who, together with their allies, have resisted-inspired by a vision of a different world made possible by higher education.Contributing authors discuss the provisions of the 1996 "welfare reform" (PRWORA) Act and the myriad of statewide responses to educational options within the framework of national legislation. In documenting the multiple obstacles and policy restrictions that low income women face, the book also highlights successful state programs, institutional practices, and community-based programs that afford low income women educational opportunities. The afterword summarizes recent legislative developments and makes policy and advocacy recommendations for the future.

Documents the economic, educational, and existential struggles that single mothers in poverty confront in the current welfare climate.Shut Out portrays in vivid detail the economic, educational, and existential struggles that single mothers confront as they fight back against a welfare-to-work regime that denies them access to higher education and obstructs their aspirations as autonomous women, determined to exit poverty and attain family self-sufficiency. The book is a unique blend of policy analysis and lived realities. The voices of student mothers fighting to stay in school, and organizing for a different future, are embedded in an analysis grounded in the educational experiences of women in poverty across the states. Harsh and punitive public policies that are designed to keep poor women trapped in low wage work are juxtaposed against the actions of those who, together with their allies, have resisted-inspired by a vision of a different world made possible by higher education.Contributing authors discuss the provisions of the 1996 "welfare reform" (PRWORA) Act and the myriad of statewide responses to educational options within the framework of national legislation. In documenting the multiple obstacles and policy restrictions that low income women face, the book also highlights successful state programs, institutional practices, and community-based programs that afford low income women educational opportunities. The afterword summarizes recent legislative developments and makes policy and advocacy recommendations for the future.

This is a special issue of Educational Studies, Volume 32, No 3 from 2001. It's main focus is poverty and schooling with two guest editors that have been deeply involved in research and teaching on the problem of children in poverty for many years and bring their considerable expertise to this excellent collection of scholarship and reviews.

Does our society care about its children? This provocative and in-depth examination of violence in the lives of children uncovers the conditions and social policies that perpetuate violence. In addition, this volume forces us to look at other forms of violence confronting children in families, neighborhoods, and schools: The violence of poverty and homelessness The violence of environmentally induced childhood diseases The media and legislative "criminalization" of childrenThe increasing trend toward incarceration of youthful offendersThe pre-eminent contributors to this volume examine these issues from both historical and contemporary public policy perspectives. They address the myths and realities of youth violence and the impact of poverty, race, and gender. Prevailing ideas about punishment and retribution, the role of the state in terms of private or public responsibility, and the developmental needs of the child are all themes that frame the multiple advocacy perspectives presented by these cogent essays.

Lack of access to affordable high quality child care is frequently the tipping point that catapults a family into poverty, joblessness, and homelessness - a constant threat to the well-being of women and children. Polakow spent a year traveling around the country listening to low-income women from diverse backgrounds tell their stories of struggle, resilience, distress, and occasional success as they encountered ongoing child care crises. The resulting work is both a compelling account of the lived realities of the child care crisis, and an incisive critique of public policy that points to the United States as an outlier in the international community. Drawing on historical and international perspectives, Polakow creates a groundbreaking analysis of child care as a human right, persuasively arguing for a universal child care system.