Dear Next President,

My name is Autumn, I want to talk to you about government assistance for single mothers that are pregnant, or has a child/children.

I am 17 years old and I only have one more year of highschool left before I am on my own. My mother has a 2 year old son, and has one more child on the way. Obviously, I do not remember when I was younger and in daycare, but I know my mother struggled. I have a "deadbeat" father that did not and does not pay child support and does not help my mother in any way. My brother is from a different father and his father does not help my mom either.

My mom works as a dental assistant, she gets paid okay, but it's also every two weeks. I recently got a job to help her out. My brother goes to daycare and it is crazy expensive. If she is a couple minutes late it costs her an extra hundred dollars. I think this is very unnecessary and out of order. Child support income accounted for over two-thirds (70.3 percent) of the mean annual personal income for custodial parents below poverty who received full child support.

My father has never paid child support and my mother’s job just covers the bills. My mother has not received support from the fathers of her children and this is going to have a big impact on me. I want to go to college and I will be buried with student loans in my grave. Most kids nowadays aren’t as successful as they could be when they're older because their parents couldn't help much.

We need to provide more support for single mothers. They are out here struggling but most high class people don't realise because they've got plenty of money. They aren't worried about the poor kids standing outside trying to earn a penny to have a better life.

People need to be encouraged and provided training to find jobs and make some money on their own. It is true that some young people have criminal records, and they have been in trouble with the law. But once they are out of jail we need to help them make a better life for themselves. Employers do not want to hire people who have a criminal record. People released from prison who can not find a legitimate job will return to a life of crime. Something needs to be done, I understand not everybody will be rich, but poverty is a big problem that needs to be solved.

I just want my mom to not have to stress and worry everyday about how and when she's going to feed me and my little brother. Or when the next time she's going to be able to go to the store to get groceries. I don’t want her crying because she can't buy us the things we want or some of the things we need.

I hope this message reaches to you on a more personal level. I know this isn't too professional, but it comes from the heart.