Blair A. - Parent

Please share your child care story.

“Child care is extremely important to me and my family. Not only as a parent, but also as an infant/toddler provider in Western MA. I have two children age 6 and 3. It is a huge financial relief that my oldest is now enrolled in kindergarten, although my youngest still attends. When we had both children enrolled together, we were paying over $1800 a month in child care. Now on top of that, as an early childhood educator, that means my salary can't cover those tremendous expenses. We had to make difficult decisions such as should we sign our daughter up for tee-ball or dance, because we can't afford both. It also meant keeping our thermostat low in the winter months to ensure our money was going toward food or our children in other ways. Child care wasn't a choice for us, it was a need. I carry health insurance for our family through my employer, and my husband makes more money than I, making his job just as important. Parents should not have to decide on either early child care for their children or their jobs that are providing for their families. My husband and I made too much money for child care subsidies, yet combined were only grossing 80,000 annually. Now minus the $1800 a month for child care. This is just one side to my story, the parent side of my story.

Now let's switch to the other side of my story. I am currently working in a public preschool program, which I have been employed for 17 years. Early education is, just that, early education. Every child should have the opportunity that my children and others were able to have. We see first hand in our profession the benefits of enrolling children in daycare, and quite honestly, the earlier the better. Children learn important social and emotional skills, as well as critical thinking and strategy skills. We also provide children with the opportunity to make choices and do things independently beginning at a young age. We help them with learning coping skills and how to put their best foot forward. It is so important to me that all young children have the option to receive such care. Parents should not have to make a choice between quality care for their children, or their jobs.

I hope we can get the ball rolling on this matter and make affordable childcare become a priority.”

What else should lawmakers and policymakers know about your childcare/early education needs, especially as we recover from the COVID-19 crisis?

“There needs to be change as far as salary for early educators. Working with children and families should NOT be looked at as a minimum wage job. We are far more than that. We offer so much to children and families and it saddens me to think our work is at a minimum.”