Heavy cost burden
During the summer vacation, public schools and kindergartens have temporarily closed, refused to take care of children, and put many workers' families in difficult situations. This forces them to send their children to private facilities at high costs.
For about 2 weeks now, Ms. Le Kieu Oanh - a worker at Tra Noc Industrial Park (Can Tho City) - has had to send her child to a private childcare center with a cost nearly 1.2 million VND/month higher than school.
The female worker said that unlike previous years, the child's grandmother, who usually looks after the child in the summer months, is currently in poor health and cannot take care of her daughter, the active daughter. Therefore, the couple was forced to go to private facilities to send their children to work.
"Although the cost is quite large compared to the couple's income, this is a temporary solution for the summer months. If one of the couple had to quit their job and stay home to take care of their children, it would be very difficult to find a new stable job and have good treatment like now, said Ms. Oanh.
Also in a similar situation, Ms. Nguyen Thi My Linh - a worker at Tra Noc Industrial Park (Can Tho City) - decided to send her child to a private childcare facility near the boarding house. In addition to high tuition fees, Ms. Linh expressed concern about safety and her child's adaptation to the new environment.
"The tuition fee in public schools is only about 1 - 1.2 million VND/month, but at private facilities, especially in the summer, it can be double or higher. Our grandparents are old and cannot afford to take care of them, so we are even more worried about them when they are sent back to our hometown. Therefore, my husband and I had to suffer from tooth bites for several months this summer," Ms. Linh shared.
Overtime, work as a left-handed person
The summer vacation brings double worries to many worker families, both having difficulty finding a safe place to raise children and facing the burden of increased costs. However, thanks to the current busy schedule and regular overtime, it helps reduce financial pressure on Ms. Linh's family during the summer.
"Thanks to these extra shifts, my wife and I can be more proactive in paying for our children's school fees, reducing the burden that many other workers are facing. Not only now, we hope that our work will always be stable and we will have overtime like this to ensure our lives, Ms. Linh expressed.
According to Ms. Oanh, with the couple's income, if they can cover their expenses, it will still be enough to cover their monthly expenses. But now that her mother is sick, her daughter sends him to a private facility, causing many additional expenses, so the couple is forced to find a way to make ends meet. While her husband took advantage of overtime, Ms. Oanh chose to take her things home to work. Although her salary is not much, the female worker can work at home, conveniently taking care of her mother and children.
