You know, like many on here, I have health problems. At the moment things are pretty bad so I rarely leave home. So, I'm bored. So, I have been teaching myself Spanish just for the hell of it. I've got to the stage where I realise that I need input from a Spanish teacher for proper grammatical explanations, hearing fast spoken colloquial Spanish and most importantly learning to talk i.e help with structure and pronunciation.
My point being, I have found a tutor online who is a single mum and fits her work around her children. Why can't Alice do something similar? She speaks French and Italian. She could also teach English as a Foreign Language and do translations. There are so many opportunities for her which don't involve leaving the house, just get her name out there and the work should come in. It would do her the world of good.
Speaking as someone with ill-health, being inactive at home is a killer. You lose your self-worth on top of the actual health ailments. She would feel so much better in herself if she tried something like this. The wonder of technology is that she wouldn't have to leave home and could fit everything around the girls.
There are other things that she could look into at a later date as this won't earn her a fortune, but all she needs is desire and pride. Sadly, she has neither.