Moms finding work they can do at home

Kathy Voss can pay her mortgage with the money she makes working at home.

It's the best of both worlds for the 41-year-old work-at-home mother: She can stay at home with her three children and supplement her family's income by selling jewelry for Dallas-based Premiere Designs Inc.

"Especially during these recession times when it's hard for ladies, we help them by giving them hope and offering them a solution to stay home or support their family," Mrs. Voss said. "This is what a lot of women need right now, to be able to help with the finances."

She was a fifth-grade teacher who decided to stay home when her first child was born.

She is among the more than 10 million women with children younger than 18 who are not in the American labor force, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Mrs. Voss sells fashion jewelry at home shows, earning a 50 percent commission on sales and 10 percent from consultants working under her leadership.

"I can pay my mortgage with the money that I get from Premiere Designs," she said, though she doesn't use it for this purpose.

Mrs. Voss uses the money for extra costs for her children, such as summer classes. Each week, she spends five to 10 hours on the business, in between home-schooling her children. She loves being able to set her own schedule.

"Not having a boss is a beautiful thing," she said.

The federal government doesn't track the number of women who leave the work force to raise children or re-enter the work force after rearing children, according to New York-based Catalyst Inc., a nonprofit research and advisory organization for the advancement of women in business. Existing studies also fail to pinpoint the exact reason women leave the work force, Catalyst reported.

For 28-year-old Martinez mother Brooke Willis, it was flexibility. The former community events planner now handles the marketing for a local business from home.

"It's part time with very flexible hours. It was too good an offer to pass up," Mrs. Willis said. "I was able to have the best of both worlds by continuing my career and improving upon my skills and experience but being able to be home with my child during the day."

When she does need to leave home for meetings, her family assists with her son, who is almost 12 months old.

"It's a challenge. Balancing is key. Schedules are important. Nap times are a necessity because that's when I get so much of my work done," Mrs. Willis said.

When her children are school age, she plans to return to work full time. She believes that working from home will be beneficial when she wants to re-enter the traditional workforce.

Julie Ostrander, 39, of Martinez, worked as a social worker before her daughter was born. She has a home-based business doing Web page development and is also selling items on eBay.

"I can my work from my laptop while my daughter is playing at the park," Mrs. Ostrander said. "I've tried other things from home, but it's a matter of finding what works for you."

She said her income provides money for extra expenses, but it isn't "something you want to rely on."

Ami McKenzie's in-home business is providing her family's sole income right now. Her husband, who worked as a diesel mechanic, was laid off several months ago.

The mother of three children operates McKenzie Care Personal Care Home, a state-licensed personal care home, from inside her house. She provides 24-hour care for mentally disabled adults, including meals and bathing, and has one full-time resident living with her family. She also offers respite care to families.

Mrs. McKenzie, 42, wanted the flexibility to attend school events and care for her children if they became ill. She worked for years at a direct care facility, where she taught mentally challenged adults.

"This is the first time I've really gotten a chance to be a stay-at-home mom," Mrs. McKenzie said.

Working from home is not always a choice based on flexibility. Vanessa Pham, 29, became a stay-at-home, work-at-home mother after being laid off from her job in 2007. Mrs. Pham worked as a supervisor in a university writing center before she was laid off because of budget cuts. This was soon before her daughter was born.

She's now working at home as a freelance writer and editor.

"It's something that I can do at home, so that I can be at home with her. It's something that I like to do," Mrs. Pham said.

She would like to find a part-time job, however. She also plans to return to school for her master's degree in teaching.

"Freelancing is inconsistent. It's not dependable; you never know when you're going to get a job, so you don't have a constant flow of income," Mrs. Pham said. "It's frustrating, but I'll keep looking."

The rising cost of day care influenced Allison Jones to become a stay-home mom in 2007, but she has since returned to work. Her husband was working two jobs to support the family.

"It was more important for our family to be at home together," Mrs. Jones said.

She has two children, ages 2 and 3, and is pregnant with her third child. She works full-time as an office specialist at Medical College of Georgia. She operated a direct sales jewelry business from home, but it was impacted by the economy, she said.

"It was definitely a hard decision for me to come back to work. But at the same time, the economy has really affected everything," Mrs. Jones said.

Reach LaTina Emerson at (706) 823-3227 or latina.emerson@augustachronicle.com.