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There's a waitlist for daycare, and I don't get paid maternity leave ...
Dear Grace, So I just had a baby, and she’s 1 month old. I don’t get paid maternity leave, so I’ve been on unpaid leave while I heal from labor. I need to get back to work to pay my bills and keep my job, but there’s a wait time on day care. What do I do? My husband didn’t get any time off and works on the road a lot. Once she gets off the daycare wait list, we could probably pay for one month with our savings, but after that, we would need to put it on a credit card or get a loan till I can catch up from taking 1 month off. I love my baby girl, I want her to be taken care of. Not working for 1 month has me stressed out and not knowing when I can go back is making it worse. I’m barely sleeping and have lots of hormones so that probably doesn’t help, lol. What do I do? How do I support her? – Brand New Mom in the Burbs Dear Brand New Mom, You are not alone in this—and what you’re going through is genuinely not fair. You just had a baby, your body is still healing, and instead of getting to rest and bond with your daughter, you’re lying awake at night doing math and worrying about your job. That is not how it should be. The United States is one of the only wealthy countries in the world without guaranteed paid maternity leave, which means loving mothers like you are forced to face impossible choices that women in most other countries never have to face. You didn’t create this problem. You’re just stuck living it. And you deserve so much better. Our country also struggles with having enough affordable childcare options. I recently heard about someone who had to put their child on a waitlist for daycare before they were even born. And even then, they aren’t sure they will be guaranteed a spot! I was shocked. You’re not alone in finding yourself in this pickle. Many women across the country assume that their local daycare center will be able to take their baby, until they find out the waitlist is a mile long and the price is sky high. I’m sorry that, along with sleep deprivation and post-partum healing, you’re also dealing with this mess. Here are three things that may help: Find out if your state has paid leave—you might be surprised. It’s just plain unfair that the United States doesn’t have paid maternity leave. But fortunately, some states do! Before you scramble to get back to work before you are ready, check whether your state has a paid family leave program. As of 2026, 14 states have passed paid leave laws, and more are on the way. These prog...
Washington leaders intensify focus on soaring costs of child care ⬇️
15 hours ago ... Postponing implementation means less support for families, less investment in early learning, and continued strain on a workforce that is already underpaid and ...
Childcare costs keep rising, and it's happening faster than many ...
Paying for quality child care can be a struggle for many families in the United States. The cost of child care is often the biggest part of a family's budget ...
In this affordability crisis, we need to prioritize childcare more than ...
Welcome to the Empire State Campaign for Child Care's podcast where we deliver short form discussions of the issues facing child care providers and families in ...
