Edward White is a single parent, living in Bristol. Up until June 30, the end of the fiscal year, White had relied on the Jobs First Employment Services Program to help him find work.
But White recently received a notice from the Connecticut Labor Department saying that as of July 1, that program would "temporarily end". And that meant his counselor would no longer be able to help him find work or place him in an activity or training session.
White continues to be, first and foremost, a parent to his two children, three-year old Halianna, and two-year-old Ryan.
On Tuesday, in the rain, White pushed his two children to the Bristol Community Services Center. He does not have his own transportation. He told us that even if he was able to find a job, child care is no longer available to him. As he put it, "I'm at my wits end".
And White is not alone. Two miles across town in Bristol, two single mothers also struggle with cutbacks in the services they've been relying on.
Jenevee Barrios, the mother of two boys, five and two-years-old, has been attending Tunxis Community College. She has used subsidized bus transportation to get to and from the college. Barrios says that benefit is no longer available to her and that her education is now in jeopardy.
Same for Binh Quach, the mother of four girls. She's been trying to get her GED but her transportation has also been eliminated. Both women say they have no idea what to do right now.
The only words of encouragement all three single parents are getting these days come from the State Labor Department. As the notice termination of benefits put it, "You will be mailed information about coming to an appointment or training session when the services become available again".
