my baby& #39;s father is refusing to pay our child& #39;s daycare fees for the second month in a row, leaving me footing the entire bill again.

lack of affordable accessible childcare options in Alberta hurts all families, but it disproportionately harms single mothers.
I only took a 3-month maternity leave after having my child. For the first 3 mo I was back at work, my child& #39;s father also contributed $0 to childcare so I was paying out of pocket. I couldn& #39;t afford to hire a nanny more than 2 days/week.

At 6 months he started giving $300/mo.
When he began giving me $300/mo for the nanny he *demanded* I provide him with an itemized list of the work I was doing so he could ensure - and I quote - "wasn& #39;t using childcare to go get haircuts or coffee with friends"

I actually did this for a few weeks before just giving up
At 12 months my child got into a daycare. A mediator had to explain to him very slowly and clearly that he is legally obligated to pay his share of childcare expenses so I could work.

(I absolutely get coffee and haircuts during daycare hours now https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙃" title="Auf den Kopf gestelltes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Auf den Kopf gestelltes Gesicht">)
Before anyone @& #39;s me that I need a court order, no kidding.

Do you know how much that costs?

Do you know much I have *already* spent taking this narcissist to court -- during which time he has STOPPED PAYING DAYCARE and lowered his child support payments by hundreds of dollars
I am the luckiest most privileged type of single mother. I can pay the daycare bill *and* sue this man at the same time.

Most women can& #39;t.

For most single mothers, this type of abuse would plunge them and their child(ren) into poverty.
I still have no idea why I am paying to enforce federal law. I don& #39;t know why our "justice" system enables this man to continuously abuse me & his child.

But universal childcare would make a difference for me. It would make a bigger difference for more vulnerable women.
Affordable accessible childcare is not only good for female participation in the workforce, closing the wage gap, and reducing poverty

it *literally* saves women from abuse.

thank you for coming to my TEDtalk.
You can follow @BridgieCasey.
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