Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. It’s no answer. It's 820 in the morning and I’m looking for my little sister. She was going to watch my children so I can go to work. I have to punch the clock at 855am. I decided to go to her house. Maybe she doesn’t hear the telephone ringing or the ringer is off. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. No answer. I’ll try calling again no pick up. The bottom of my stomach dropped to the end of my toenails. I started to panic. This can’t be happening again. It's 845am and it's imperative I make it on time to work. Hell, I must make it to work. I have 3 call-offs. No one is dependable to look after my children. Another call off or tardy I’m fired on the spot. I’m a single parent, with no real family or friends except my little sister, and I think she is tired of me too. How will I take care of my children with no income? I can’t lose another job due to the lack of a support system.
I know my sister is mad because I can’t pay her much. I make $9 hour, work 40 hours a week, and my take-home pay is $600 every 2 weeks. I know $75 a week is not barely enough to care for 3 children. The truth of the matter after I pay all my bills, I’m struggling to buy groceries, and maintain gas money for 2 weeks. I'm a real example of living paycheck to paycheck. What will I do without my sister's help and no job? I can’t get state assistance for childcare. I’m working and not considered as mandatory. I will go on a waiting list. After communicating with other parents who receive childcare assistance some of them were on the waiting list for at least 1 year before they got approved. That’s too long.
I drove to my job drowning with tears to talk to my supervisor. A complete meltdown to my boss I started to reason with him as if I was on let’s make a deal game show. If I find a reliable daycare today could I please keep my job? I explained to him as a single parent my job is my lifeline without it I’m useless to my children. I’m a really great worker and I loved my job. I am more than grateful for having employment! He miraculously agreed and allowed me to find a daycare.
So overjoyed with excitement I got right to it. My smiles quickly turned back to tears, when I started calling around asking for prices, and they were at least $450 a week or higher! I couldn’t afford it. My life was so unreal at this point with devastation. I didn’t give up. I made a promise to my supervisor, myself, and my children. The first #daycare I find that is #affordable and kid-friendly I’m enrolling my children. To my avail, I called #Jeffries24HourChildcare and talk to the manager. When she gave me her #budgetprogram prices she told me the qualifications. I screamed at the top of my lungs, started crying, my prayers had been answered, and she had 3 slots left. After googling the location, the website, all of the pictures she had of her daycare children online I knew this daycare would be a great fit for me and my children. Thank goodness I still had some money left over. Yes, I will struggle for a while but my boss did tell me I could pick up extra shifts if need be. Mrs. Houston told me her daughter runs TeenyBop Baby Sitting Club. Marie doesn’t charge much if parents need to work overtime. To my excitement we rushed over to #Jeffries24HourChildcare, the daycare was amazeballs, and kid-friendly at its best! It was bright, bold with colors, so much for the children to do, and I literally had to drag my children out of the daycare. I paid my $165 for the week of 3 children. That is $65/per child and when you have multiple children its $10 off per child. It was still enough time in the day for me to sign up for the childcare waiting list. I applied immediately. I was so overjoyed that I kept my employment and found reliable daycare for my kids all within a #24hour period. The best part my kids love it!