Darlene - Parent

[Name changed at request of participant]

“Childcare plays a huge role in my household. It is the only way I am able to work a full time job as my family lives out of state. My children are 7 & 5. I found Daycare from co-workers to the local DTA office supplying me with a list. Two of the biggest struggles I deal with are the timing/payment of after school or daycare programs even with a voucher.”

“My youngest daughter is having some behavioral issues and we are working closely with the state to get her all of the early intervention and help she needs. During her time at a local daycare I was called every day or every other day as my daughter was having a melt down and they could not "contain or handle" her. This in turn required me to constantly leave work early and some days even have to bring her into work with me. I went through the process with JRI to get her an personal aide to help her through the day and help the teachers be able to "focus" on the other children. Not even a week after JRI introducing and telling the school what was going to happen they terminated my daughter from daycare. It was almost like they didn't want anyone from the outside being able to look in on what was really going on. And from what the observer I had go in to observe my daughter for said it was the teachers who were loud, yelling and restraining my child that was making her upset. When she was having a fit instead of dealing with it the correct way they gave my daughter a game to play to make her be quiet.”

“Now every daycare in my area I call to have my child attend never call back as she was terminated from another daycare and reported to the state. Is that what it has come to? Terminating a child and reporting it to the state so then the mother now is at risk for losing her job and has to start back from square 1? I was not the only mother who has gone through this.”

”I have picked up odd jobs here or there or pay certain things/ buy certain things to make sure I do not fall behind on payment. I am tired of hearing ‘we don't have the staff or budget to get the extra assistance.’ “

What would affordable, high-quality early education and child care mean for your family? What would be different if you had access to such a program?

“I would not have to race from point A to Point B to Point C to grab both of my children from school and then rush to be home for 630-7 to cook and make dinner so they aren't up late.”

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

“Just because I make a certain amount of money should not be how my childcare is calculated. It may be a small amount a month to some people but to my family its a huge amount.”