At three months old, my son was kicked out of his daycare. I had spent my pregnancy navigating my city’s brutal child care landscape. So, when I found this place, I felt a flood of relief. Yet, less than a week after I returned to work, I received a call asking me to pick up my son because he was crying too much. The next day, same call. After a few days, I was told “it was not a good fit.” I had until the end of the month.
I had exhausted my PTO and depleted my savings in an attempt to offset the costs of my unpaid leave. I don’t have family nearby. I’m a single mom working in healthcare, unable to work remotely or stay home full-time. I finally found the daycare he now attends, but it costs more than my rent—it puts a $1,600 deficit in my monthly budget. So with each passing month, I fall further behind on car payments, student loans, utilities. And every day, I field calls from debt collectors. All of this is due to the cost of child care.
Almost every mom I know has a story like this. The details vary, but the common thread is this: Child care costs are unsustainable. Sweden offers 16 months of paid parental leave. Norway provides leave specifically for parents caring for a sick child. Canada is initiating $10 a day child care. Portugal has free child care for all, regardless of income.
This late night rabbit hole affirmed what I already knew—moms in the U.S. are struggling due to systemic issues and policy failures. It was moms that helped me secure a last minute daycare spot. It was moms who recently gathered at a local park to swap baby gear in response to rising prices. And it will be moms who demand more from our policymakers when it comes to the accessibility of child care in our country.
Brea Harris is a single mom living in Chicago.
