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Stories

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
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
Being pregnant and going into labor were the scariest moments of my life. And it wasn’t because I didn’t know what to expect, or because I had watched too many movie deliveries. I was terrified because I knew, that despite living in America, one of the richest countries in the world - that it was...Read more
Lashonda, NY
I have been laid off three times in three years due to the economy - this has caused me to lose all of my savings and other hardships I'd rather not list. Childcare/Preschool in the Bay Area is expensive and it's necessary so that I can find a job. I had to take my daughter out of her preschool and...Read more
Anonymous
People are often surprised to hear that even a physician can end up on Medicaid...but I’m a great example that it can happen to anyone. I’m 32 years old, married, with two small children and I am a family physician. In January of this year, right at the beginning of a new plan year and new...Read more
Robin
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
Quality child care is difficult to find. Affordable quality child care is non-existent. And it's almost impossible to run a household on one income these days. We have paid over $15,000 a year for childcare for our kids. And no matter which way we slice it, we are barely making it. However, having...Read more
Leah, Washington
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
I was a single parent with four children, ages 2 -10. (I had left an abusive husband and was supporting all the children on my own.) I had a terrible time finding a day care provider, but was told that this certain provider was one that the Social Services recommended, so they would help with day...Read more
Julie
My husband and I found ourselves with a surprise pregnancy when our two children were 10 and 12. At the time I was working full time as a nanny. By the end of the pregnancy I was working for the same family part time. I took off just under a month and went back to work for them part time, toting...Read more
Sandy, Washington

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