Meet Kimberly
Kimberly works full-time as an ESE paraprofessional for Polk County Public Schools, supporting students with disabilities.
At home, Kimberly is also a caregiver for her adult daughter with disabilities, and two younger children. Her youngest is currently enrolled in VPK. In between, she’s pursuing an associates degree at Polk State College, with hopes to continue onto her bachelor’s. She dreams of becoming a nurse practitioner.
She’s raising three kids, juggling work and school, and holding it all together — just barely.
The hidden cost of a raise
Her recent raise might just cost her the very support systems that keep her family afloat.
With the support of WIC, SNAP and Early Learning Coalition childcare support, she’s holding it all together.
And the thing that might upset this tenuous balance: a pay raise.
What is ALICE?
Kimberly is just one of the 32.9% of Polk County households classified as ALICE – asset limited, income constrained and employed — families who earn above the federal poverty level but still don’t make enough to cover the basics. Just over 52% of Polk families were barely above the ALICE threshold, as of 2022. Another 14.7% of households in the county live below the poverty line, according to the United Community Indicators tool by United Way of Central Florida and GiveWell Community Foundation.
Among many challenges ALICE households face is the “benefits cliff” — when even a small pay raise can trigger a sharp loss in food, child care, or housing support, making it harder for families like Kimberly’s to move toward self-sufficiency.
Just over 52% of Polk families were barely above the ALICE threshold, as of 2022.
The tipping point
This phenomenon is known as a fiscal or “benefits cliff” — small income gains triggering steep benefit losses. Florida legislators are considering reforms such as raising eligibility thresholds for KidCare to ease the cliff for families, according to the Florida Chamber’s 2023 Legislative Update.
Here’s what the benefits cliff looks like for Kimberly.
Budgeting with no margin for error
Kimberly’s paycheck comes twice a month. Like many school employees, she chose to stay on the “spread out” option, meaning a portion of their pay is withheld so they can be paid during the summer when school is not in session.
She budgets carefully, paying two weeks of daycare upfront. Her car insurance, cell phone, gas, and groceries are split across what’s left. There is no margin for error.
Childcare, groceries, and tough decisions
Groceries and transportation are her hardest costs to manage. When her car broke down this summer, she walked from Shepherd Road to Family Fun Center to pick up her daughter from daycare.
“I have to make a budget. And if I go over that budget, it will throw off the daycare fee, the gas that I have per week… it just messes up everything.”
On paper, her raise makes her look more financially secure. In reality, it could mean she loses a slate of benefits that are helping her stay afloat.
At risk of losing it all
For now, Kim’s youngest can attend a VPK wraparound program thanks to a childcare subsidy from the Early Learning Coalition. It lets her keep working and progressing toward her degree.
But with her raise, that benefit is now at risk of disappearing.
If she loses the subsidy, her childcare cost could jump to $100+ per week — a shift that would break her budget completely. And it’s not just the money. It’s her daughter’s stability.
“She loves it there. She loves her friends, her teachers, and I don’t want to take her out.”
Further:
- Her food stamps may drop from $200 to $100 a month.
- Childcare costs could rise if subsidies are cut.
- She may no longer qualify for the Pell Grant for her education.
Kimberly says she feels punished for working harder.
Why so many single moms struggle
Kimberly knows her story isn’t unique.
In Polk county, 80% of single-female-headed households fall below the ALICE threshold, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s analysis, making them especially vulnerable to the benefits cliff.
Systemic reform on the horizon
Across Florida, families face similar cliffs: research from Florida’s Chamber shows many avoid raises or promotions to avoid losing health and assistance benefits. Efforts like HB 121 / SB 246 aim to help by increasing the income limit for Florida KidCare from 200% to 300% of the federal poverty level, creating a smoother glidepath for families instead of a sudden cutoff.
Kimberly’s seen other moms hit the same wall: work harder, earn a little more — then lose access to the help they need.
Still showing up
Still, she’s determined. She’s staying in school. She’s showing up at work. She’s pushing for something better for her kids.
What she wants, more than anything, is to stop having to choose between survival and progress.
“I want to be self-sufficient. I’m trying to get there. I just need the system to meet me halfway.”
Insight Polk examines community conditions and solutions in six target areas from UCIndicators.org: economic & employment opportunity, education, housing, food security, transportation & infrastructure, and quality of life.
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting is made possible by the United Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Kayla Borg is a reporter for LkldNow, a nonprofit newsroom providing independent local news for Lakeland. Read at LkldNow.com.
