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A small bump in my income meant I lost the child care support that was keeping my budget in line and keeping my family stable. I am a single mother of young children and I am in law school with a degree from UW. But three years ago, a single set back destabilized my entire family. A single, and...Read more
Angelica, Washington
I was lucky enough to be able to stay home for the first year of my daughter's life, but as her first birthday approached I knew it was financially time to get started again. The daycares in my area were all acceptable, but most were warehouse type "kindercare" places. I wanted a more personal and...Read more
Michelle
I have been unable to afford childcare for over a year now. Because, childcare is so cost prohibitive in Los Angeles, it is more cost effective to stay home than to work. I have many friends in the same position and all of us had to give up our jobs because childcare is more expensive than we can...Read more
Jen
I am a mother of two toddlers and my story is about how difficult a time I had finding affordable care for my children. When I left to go on maternity leave from my job as a contractor for the Federal Aviation Administration, I never imagined not being able to return. Unfortunately, the cost of...Read more
Rachel, Washington
Like most Americans, I do not have paid family leave. I went into labor with my son when I was at work, almost two months before his due date. My son was born at 33 weeks, by emergency C-section, and spent a month in the NICU. I used all of my vacation and sick time to be with him daily. When that...Read more
Jonna Ashley, Denver
As a social worker (Child Protective Services) low or no cost child care is the difference between my clients working or staying home and continuing to collect TANF. Child Care also provide a safety net where children are seen everyday by mandated reporters instead of spending 24/7 with their...Read more
Larry
My husband was recently laid-off his primary job. He does have a second part-time job that he could work more hours at, however, because of the cost of childcare, it would actually be BETTER financially for us for him to stay home and collect unemployment. If he tried to work more hours at his part...Read more
Anonymous
I work at a university. The day care my son was in last year was recommended by this university. This is the type of service we got: * all the kids' noses were always runny, whenever I came in -- my son had a cold all year; * the place smelled like urine * there was sometimes a different teacher...Read more
Ksenija
We live in Marin County and childcare here costs atleast $15 per hour for a babysitter. Of course you can find lower, but they usually don't speak English. I don't make much more per hour than they do so it was pointless for me to work and just hand my earnings over to the babysitter. Instead we...Read more
Anonymous
I have two children who are 21 months apart. From the time that my oldest started in daycare at 6 weeks of age until the time that my son finished at age 5, we were in 9 different childcare settings. Everytime I thought they were both settled, a teacher changed or they moved to the next classroom...Read more
Anne, Washington

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