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Stories

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 rare, support payment from the father of my children temporarily put me over the income limit for my childcare subsidy. Overnight...Read more
Angelica, Seattle, WA
As a recent PhD graduate, I've been looking for full-time work while struggling to manage an active 2 year old daughter. I am fortunate to have a grandmother nearby who watches my daughter twice a week. Without her, I would not be able to apply for jobs or keep up with the few contract jobs I do...Read more
Shelby
in 2008 i was fired from nordstrom along with at least 6 other employees...i spent all of 2009 appealing my case to get my unemployment benifits, working small jobs that i found, taking my son to long beach community college preschool and taking care of my husband on disability... i started...Read more
Anonymous
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
In my area, affordable childcare does not exist. There is expensive childcare that is not high quality, and there is high quality childcare that is not affordable. I have been working as a teacher, and I quickly learned that the teachers I work with have family members who take care of their...Read more
Kathleen
I was a teacher at the local high school for 7 years. When I got pregnant for the first time, I wanted to do everything...continue teaching in my FFA program AND raise a baby. Turns out it was a hard match. Adding my daughter to my health insurance was one thing (I went from paying $15/month to $...Read more
Michelle
I have had all the emotions when it has come to day care for my children, I had refused to pay all the little extra on top of my weekly fee for day care when my two older boys where in day care, so because of it, I went to pick my kids up on a Friday evening and the daycare provider had let them go...Read more
Latosha
When my second child was born, my husband had saved up vacation time to take some time off to help out at home and get to know his new daughter. Instead, things got busy at work and his company required him to work overtime. I had postpartum depression and this made for a very difficult situation...Read more
Anonymous, Wisconsin
I'm writing on behalf of my daughter who had her first child in July. After giving birth her company gave her 6 weeks of medical leave. Unfortunately after the 6 weeks the baby was still on a very unsteady sleeping schedule...usually 3 to 4 hours sleep and then waking and crying to be fed. She was...Read more
Anonymous
In September 2010, I gave birth to my first child via c-section. I had arranged for 12 weeks of maternity leave at 2/3 pay, using vacation time, sick leave, and taking four weeks unpaid. I worked for a small nonprofit that lacked resources for paid maternity leave. Fortunately my husband's company...Read more
Jennifer

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