"Nurse" probably refers to an LPN or nursing assistant..the kind of employee who often works at homes for the elderly. High demand but very low pay. Undoubtedly more lucrative to stay home and collect welfare while minding the young kids.
So her kids burned the house down while she was home, and it was her 13 yr old son who got everyone out. I wonder if she was even sober?
You're probably right, if welfare still pays a per-child premium. However, even a nurses' aide can make as much as $10-$15/hr in nursing homes. I worked my way though college as a nurses' aide. The trick is (1) work innner-city homes, which give "danger pay", and (2) work through a staffing agency, which pays 50% more but still gives you 40+ hours. You can also clean up in a place that pays time and a half for overtime or per diem work.
My dad was an LPN, and he made as much as $50/hr, though $20/hr was more usual. The higher pay was for Christmas eve in a bad part of Boston--and in fact he was robbed that night, by a street gang looking for narcotics.
Worst case should be around $6 for a nurses' aide starting out, and $12 for an LPN starting out. "Low pay," I spose. But if welfare beats that, then welfare is a serious racket.
Maybe she was sleeping. I'm exhausted with only eight children!
The candle in the bathroom was definitely poor thinking, under the circumstances, though.
"High demand but very low pay"
That's not really true as far as LPN's go. They make very good money in a Skilled Care Facility or doing homecare. Your right about nursing assistants though. They don't make near enough money for the work they do.