Sandra L. - FFN Provider & Careviger
"Grandparents are doing the work, but they can’t afford to do it for free."
Sandra has been there since the beginning. She was at the table when the Friends, Family, and Neighbor (FFN) childcare movement first started taking shape. As an advocate and former FFN provider herself, Sandra helped lay the foundation by doing outreach, building trust, and encouraging caregivers to speak directly to state leaders about their needs.
“I got people to come to the meetings, and to understand that their voices matter. That we need to speak up to the state if we want change,” she says.
Sandra knows the value of care work firsthand—not only as a grandmother and a childcare provider, but as the oldest of seven siblings. “I saw it all from the beginning,” she says. “The oldest child carries a lot. I’ve always been a busy, busy woman.”
Today, Sandra sees progress in spaces like NECP (New England Community Project), where organizers are now able to offer childcare during trainings and events, ensuring that parents can participate without having to worry about who’s watching their kids. This is a direct result of the groundwork she and others laid years ago.
But there’s still so much more to be done. “Trying to find childcare that’s safe, affordable, and really works for families. That’s the heart of it,” Sandra explains. “Say you’re a grandmother, and your granddaughter wants to go to college. It’s not fair to expect you to take care of her child for free. That’s a real burden, especially with how expensive everything is now.”
Sandra points out that many grandparents are stepping in to care for their grandchildren, doing so out of love, but often without support or pay. “They’re doing the work, but they can’t afford to do it. And most of them are very qualified. We need to stop overlooking that.”
There’s also an entire side of the childcare conversation that often goes unheard: men. “A lot of men are going through childcare struggles just like women,” she says. “They may not always talk about it, but they feel undervalued too.”
Sandra believes in bridging those gaps, whether it's raising awareness about the college courses grandparents can take to become certified caregivers, or pushing for recognition of the skilled care already happening in communities.
“We still need certified providers, of course,” she says. “But let’s not forget that a lot of our best caregivers, especially our grandparents already have the heart, the experience, and the know-how. They just need the support.”