Exercise 2: Childcare
Childcare obligations are another common obstacle to appearing in court. People with children may not have the ability to find or afford a safe substitute to care for their children when they must appear in court.
Question 1.
Gut check: Without researching, what percentage of parents are stay-at-home parents?
In August 2023, a Utah resident brought their triplet toddlers and a 4-year-old to court when she was called for jury duty because she could not find a babysitter. This is less than ideal for everyone – it can be distracting for others, could expose the children to sensitive or traumatic information, and limits the parent’s ability to fully engage with jury duty. Imagine how distracting that would be and how the court could alleviate that burden.
Read Pew Research Center’s trend analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data about the share of parents who are not employed for pay, or stay-at-home parents.