Read on Twitter
THREAD/
I have covered early childhood education and child care for eight years now. For the last two, I've had a kid who spends five days a week at a wonderful center. I'd have told you no one had as much respect for child care providers as I did. Then #coronavirus happened.
I have covered early childhood education and child care for eight years now. For the last two, I've had a kid who spends five days a week at a wonderful center. I'd have told you no one had as much respect for child care providers as I did. Then #coronavirus happened.
For 20 days now, my husband and I have been trying to maintain full-time jobs from home, while being semi-decent parents to our toddler, on a schedule that starts at 6 am and doesn't end until 10 pm (at least). It is INSANE.
He runs a small business and is his own boss. Luckily, my bosses at @hechingerreport are much more reasonable than his, but the task is still absurd. As my colleague @s_garl put it:
"I feel exhausted and frayed [to be homeschooling], parenting and working. And...to top it off, I must somehow do all these tasks all at the same time — as the economy crashes and coronavirus threatens our livelihoods and our lives." https://hechingerreport.org/desperate-parents-need-help-as-coronavirus-upends-our-lives/
I am grateful for injections like this one from @AskAManager: "No, it’s not reasonable to expect someone caring for a toddler because schools and daycares are closed to work the same schedule she worked in the office without a toddler around!" https://www.askamanager.org/2020/04/whats-reasonable-for-managers-to-expect-of-parents-working-from-home.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3C8-W43KhgIPOWtKxX1ib5Lk26XXZZ7rxq8_0mNgKYGy6wTXT_Ex9x3X8
Because pulling together my recent story on the fragility of the nation's child care "system" was possibly the hardest task of my reporting career. Without eight years of background knowledge and editors and sources flexing with with me at every step, it wouldn't have happened.
One interview involved my kid grabbing my typing hand and pulling it to her chest and then giggling hysterically as I snatched it back. Another was arranged for 6:30 am my time in hopes that my child would still be sleeping.
To be frank, I've never personally felt the truth of a kicker as much as I did for this story: “Imagine trying to get the entire workforce back to work without child care.”
I can't.
But without intervention soon, I may have no choice. https://hechingerreport.org/our-fragile-child-care-system-may-be-about-to-shatter/
I can't.
But without intervention soon, I may have no choice. https://hechingerreport.org/our-fragile-child-care-system-may-be-about-to-shatter/
I am under no delusion that my personal circumstances are among the most trying right now. Look no further than my colleague @jackiemader's profile of a long-time child care provider to understand how hard this crisis is for people already on the edge. https://hechingerreport.org/her-daycare-was-already-on-the-brink-then-coronavirus-struck/
And yet, there's no way my family can sustain this child care-free status quo for long. We are bracing for another month. And we will push past that if we must, but only if we know we can count on our child's amazing teachers and school leaders to still be there on the other end.
I should add: In case not super clear my respect for child care providers has gone from high to astronomical. I am especially great full for the thoughtful, kind, creative and patient women who care for my child.
And also, not to worry, everything is fine here. We’ve totally got the situation under control.
*grateful -- typed that with thumbs during the toddler body art sesh
A little context on the history of child care policy in America and where the big ideas stand today in terms of politics:
@JoeBiden has not released a comprehensive plan for improving child care. (Neither has @realDonaldTrump.)
@JoeBiden has not released a comprehensive plan for improving child care. (Neither has @realDonaldTrump.)
@ewarren had a plan for universal #childcare and @BernieSanders did too. @amyklobuchar @CoryBooker & @KamalaHarris co-sponsor a more moderate reform bill.
Warren, Booker also joined @SenTinaSmith in asking for direct #childcare funding in the CARES Act. https://smithsenate.app.box.com/s/szl6lbtpel16mixul9qqskc7wjre82hm
Warren, Booker also joined @SenTinaSmith in asking for direct #childcare funding in the CARES Act. https://smithsenate.app.box.com/s/szl6lbtpel16mixul9qqskc7wjre82hm
