Luz from Salem

My name is Luz and I am the mother to 2 ½ year-old Milan. My family, who I need to take care of, has had to decide to pay for basic things like rent, food and utilities or child care because the cost of child care is very high in our state. When I started to look for child care for my baby, it was so  overwhelming. Because we are a low income family, we have to carefully consider our ability to pay for the care we want for our son. 

I applied for ERDC—however, even after qualifying for it, it has been so difficult to find a childcare provider or center that is taking children. Each time I have called I have been told to get on a waiting list. There simply is not enough child care supply, especially for low-income families. 

I understand that the current public health risk makes it hard for everyone to make ends meet both as families seeking quality services and for those providing it. The current system is not meeting our communities’ needs. For families like mine, the hoops and hurdles we have to undertake in order to be able to go to work and provide for our family’s very basic needs has been so strenuous and stressful. I have often found myself considering not working. However when I look at our financial situation it is just not an option and I feel desperate and frustrated to the point of bursting into tears from it all.

Child care is necessary for joyful children, thriving families, and a strong economy. Every Oregon family deserves access to high quality, affordable, and culturally relevant child care, and every child care provider should be paid a wage that reflects the essential work they do. It should not have to be this hard; having a beautiful baby is something I had longed for for many years. Having a fulfilling life without worrying about our basic needs should not have to be part of this beautiful part of parenting life.