Child Labor in Agriculture

For Harvest of Justice 2022, National Farm Worker Ministry is joining multiple farm worker partners and allies to call out child labor in agriculture.
Under the current labor law, children as young as 12 can work unlimited hours outside of school with parental permission. Children aged 10 and 11 can work on small farms for no more than eight weeks in the harvest season with parental permission. Moreover, the federal government does not require proof of age for a minor employee. Due to such loose restrictions, there are children as young as five working in the fields.
Justice for Migrant Women reports that there are between 300,000 and 500,000 child farm workers in the U.S., but the specific number is unknown. What we do know is that these children face many work hazards and lack many basic child labor protections. Every day, around 33 children are injured doing farm work. And a child working in agriculture dies about every three days.
Harsh working conditions, economic hardships, living in isolation, and discrimination are just a few of the stressors farm workers and their children experience. Additionally, farm worker children often struggle in school due to work and life stressors.
But you can stand in solidarity with farm workers and reduce child labor. Learn how you can make a positive difference in the working and living conditions for #farmworkers and their families at nfwm.org/resou....
#childlabor #endchildlabor #farmworkers