Letter: Lawmakers, be bold and lift the crushing burden of child-care costs – Boston Globe
By Tiffany Jenkins
I appreciated that Tanzina Vega’s recent op-ed (“The financial fragility of single parents who need child care,” March 20) shined a spotlight on the unique challenges single parents face when trying to stay in the workforce. Like many, I’ve had to juggle raising my daughter and working a part-time job while attending school full time and working toward a certificate. Paying for child care on top of that is a burden that forces me to make impossible decisions about paying for other basic needs, from groceries to transportation.
Just last month, I spoke in front of lawmakers at the State House about the need to pass the Common Start legislation, which would make child care free for parents who, like me, are living below the poverty line. This bill would allow me to finish my degree faster, secure a better-paying job, and help me work toward becoming financially stable and eventually thrive. It would mean a brighter future for my daughter.