It is a sad reality that while countless Filipinas tend to the comfort and convenience of foreign employers across the world, they leave their own children and families in the care of others if not totally by themselves. As a result, the women migrant workers have to shoulder a heavier financial burden. Not only do they have to support their immediate families, now they also have to support the person who's taking care of their children and sometimes all the other members of the extended family with whom the children share a house. It's not surprising that even after decades of working in Italy, many have no savings. To ease the guilt and to make up for their absence, the absentee parents shower their children with material things.
Many children grow up spoiled, drop out of school or marry early.
A number have become drug users, as pushers know that children of migrant workers are easy targets, since they have money but no adult or parental guidance. While legal protection and support mechanisms are available for migrant workers in Italy, the picture is not all that rosy. The most common problems related to domestic work arise from noncompliance with the law that guarantees equal rights to all documented workers originating from countries outside the European Economic Commission. Some employers take advantage of irregular situations to avoid work contracts and withholding taxes. Some employers also force longer work hours without corresponding compensation, or salaries lower than that received by Italian workers in equivalent work.