Rebecca W. - Parent
Please share your childcare story.
“I became a single mom a few years ago and that's when my lack of childcare became a nightmare. Prior to moving to Massachusetts, I had to find a way to work without childcare (my daughter wasn't in school). Desperate, I drove for Uber Eats with my daughter in tow. Because I had to drive when people ordered, I drove evenings. I was out as late as 3 AM delivering food. I ran in and out of restaurants carrying a sleeping child. I hated that I had to do it. I felt like a lousy parent.
After six months of that, I was able to move to Massachusetts. Rent would be much more affordable if I could live further outside of Boston. However, to do so would require childcare I couldn't afford. I was trapped into having to live in a higher rent area.
Before the pandemic, because I couldn't afford childcare and didn't qualify for any assistance programs, our day was brutal. It started when I dropped my daughter off at school. After drop off, I got on the T and went to work. I left work to pick up my daughter at the end of her school day. Then, we returned to Boston to finish my work day or attend work functions in the evening. We often arrived home late in the evening even though she had school the next day.
Also, my daughter ran into attendance problems at school due to lack of child care. Our school district has a half day once a month. It was impossible for me to be at work and make school drop off/pick up on those days. On days I couldn't miss work, she missed school and came to work with me. On days I could miss work, I missed work so she could be in school.
I have chronic health issues and getting medical care was also an issue. If I needed scans, there was no one to watch her. She accompanied me to bloodwork appointments and has spent a lot of time in the ER with me as I struggled to breathe from asthma exacerbations. Things no kid should see.
The pandemic presented the same beast we've been dealing with for a couple of years now with a different nature. My daughter is with ALL the time. I was furloughed from work. The lack of child care made and makes finding employment nearly impossible. I have to take whatever job I can find. The ones available to me with my limitations are low paying.
During the pandemic, she continues to attend doctor appointments with me. I chose my health care provider based on who was most sympathetic to my lack of child care. The place I go is on the other side of Boston from where I live. A doctor asked me why I travel so far. I explained that the health care system took my insurance and makes allowances for me being poor single mom. (During one experience with a another provider, they threatened to call social services because I had no one to watch my daughter when I was in the ER.)
People ask how I am. I'm college educated, have won awards in my field, and have a broad skill set. I should be thriving. Instead, I find myself answering, "I'm a single mom. It will always be a brutal struggle to survive until we see policy change."
This is one of those policy changes I so desperately need.”
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?
“It would be life changing. I could get a decent paying job and begin to claw my way out of survival mode. I could live further out with lower rent. My child's life would be less chaotic and more stable. My child wouldn't have to attend work events or medical appointments with me. My child could be just a kid. I wouldn't have to fight so hard to barely hang on.”
What else should lawmakers and policymakers know about your childcare/early education needs, especially as we recover from the COVID-19 crisis?
“This policy is one of the more powerful ways to address poverty in Massachusetts. It would make a difference in parents lives and in kids lives.”