Lack of Reliable Child Care - By Kelley

One of the greatest challenges I have had to face was having to quit my job to stay home to care for my firstborn because there were no child cares taking infants. We only have one official child care in the area and all the home child cares we visited were so full that we did not feel it would be a good environment for a baby that was only a few months old. We were concerned he would not get the attention he needed to thrive. I graduated with my master's degree a year before my son was born and was offered a job I would have loved soon after I gave birth, but I had to turn it down. Six years later, I still have not returned to the workforce because of issues with child care.

What we need most is more accessible access to healthcare and quicker and more efficient access to specialized therapy. It takes us weeks to see our primary doctor, and months to see a specialist. All this time is a complete waste when a child is struggling.