When kids in the garden is a bad idea
I’ve written regularly on this blog about the good things that result from kids spending time in a garden. But too much of anything can be bad, and a stinging report released last week from Human Rights Watch shows that hundreds of thousands of children in the United States are exposed to health risks and exploitation through their work on American farms.
Based on the report, children working in agriculture have few of the same legal protections of children working in any other type of work. That’s because the child labor laws were drafted in the 1930s, when most children working on farms were simply helping their parents on the family farm. Today, the circumstances are much different: For instance, it’s perfectly legal for children ages 12 and up to work unlimited hours before and after school. (For other jobs, children must be 14 or 15 and are limited to working three hours per day while school is in session.) Child farm workers drop out of school at four times the average rate. And children are also allowed to undertake hazardous farm work at age 16, when hazardous work in other career fields isn’t allowed until age 18.
Hear from some of the young farm workers and learn more about the problem from this video from Human Rights Watch:
The good news is that a new bill, the CARE Act, introduced by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.), would amend the current child labor laws, increasing penalties for violations and requiring the U.S. Labor Department to better record data on the number of child workers and injuries. Of course, most of the children working long farm hours are doing so because their parents are also farm workers and are unable to make a living wage to support the whole family — and providing workers with a living wage is another whole subject.
However, as a mother and an advocate for farming, it makes me sad to learn more about the conditions of the children who may have picked the blueberries or spinach I’m feeding my own kids. If you agree that the status quo is unacceptable, consider contacting your Congressional representatives and encouraging them to pass the CARE Act.
What do you think? Should children in America be allowed to work in the fields for long hours for low wages?
I picked and washed vegetables on my uncle’s farm when I was in high school, but only during the summer. I was always exhausted afterwards, as much from the work as from being in the hot sun all day. I couldn’t imagine going to school in between farming…but I see Jennifer’s point too. Not everyone is like me, and if young people want to work long hours and their grades aren’t plummeting because of it, then maybe it’s ok. But how do you divide those who want to be there from those who are being exploited? I’m not sure, but thanks for bringing attention to this issue.
Jen, thanks for sharing your experience. I helped out on a farm too as a kid and a teenager, but it was never like an actual job. It was just helping the family. I think the kids this organization is trying to protect are coming from a different scenario. But I agree, it’s difficult for government to separate the two. Thanks for reading!
Jennifer, I totally see where you’re coming from. And the bill being considered would still exempt children working on family farms. I think it’s mainly geared toward those who are laboring on commercial farms in jobs that are often dangerous. But you’re right; a law can rarely draw the line. I do think the current laws deserve a second look though, with so many children missing out on a normal childhood. Thanks for your comment!
I picked and washed vegetables on my uncle’s farm when I was in high school, but only during the summer. I was always exhausted afterwards, as much from the work as from being in the hot sun all day. I couldn’t imagine going to school in between farming…but I see Jennifer’s point too. Not everyone is like me, and if young people want to work long hours and their grades aren’t plummeting because of it, then maybe it’s ok. But how do you divide those who want to be there from those who are being exploited? I’m not sure, but thanks for bringing attention to this issue.
I have mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I live in a primarily agricultural part of Wisconsin, where a lot of kids do work with their families on family farms (or for neighboring families), and I see a lot of value in that. As the parent of a growing boy, I also see that many young boys, especially, crave meaningful, “real” work. (vs. made-up tasks that have no real-world significance.) I have a 12-yr-old boy, and while I won’t push or encourage long hours of work, if he’s willing, interested and able to handle it, I see no reason why he couldn’t work more than 3 hours per day when he’s 15.
On the other hand, there’s a difference between a child who wants to work and a child who is being exploited — and laws, unfortunately, can rarely draw that line.
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