'Forced to do Amazon delivery' | Parents try to make ends meet, afford childcare amid Indiana cuts
'Forced to do Amazon delivery' | Parents try to make ends meet, afford childcare amid Indiana cuts
Mother of four Mariah McGee couldn't return to work after having her baby in January because she couldn't afford childcare.
"I was forced to do Amazon delivery, with my baby in the car, so I'm getting out the car to deliver packages. I have to stop my route to feed her," McGee said.
After the state cut a decent chunk of money to assist low-income families who need childcare, Amazon was one of McGee's only options to have an income. McGee is not the only one facing this difficulty.
Single mom of twins Cierra Ellis-Strayhorn said she also depends on vouchers for her children to attend pre-school. She said when the cuts were first announced she couldn't believe it.
"Scared. I'm a first-time mom, so scared," she explained.
Both women said even receiving the state funding that's still available is difficult with all the paperwork and new requirements.
"It's a real battle," Ellis-Strayhorn said. "That's what I will say, it's a real battle. You're a mom, you gotta do it. It's our job and sorry to say, but that's how they make it and if we don't figure it out, then what? We lose our kids or we lose our house or what's next, you know, and that's kind of what runs through my head every day. What's next?"
These moms are among thousands of parents in the same boat, and daycares lose business too.
For example, Little Duckling Early Learning Center and Little Angel's Childcare and Development Center both said they have seen a decline in enrollment.
"I need to work, and I need you guys to be in school. We have to also make a living. It's hard to do that by yourself," Ellis-Strahorn said.
Both moms were able to find work at Little Duckling Daycare. It's where their boss, Jaqueline Strong, has informational meetings for parents and other local daycares to navigate the new changes and find a solution. Strong said they're looking at sliding fee scales for tuition and scholarship funds as an option.
"We're here to support each other. We're all experiencing a lot of the same things, a lot of the same challenges, so why not help each other," said Strong.
The Center said around 136 parents stopped by to receive information and learn more.
McGee and Ellis-Strayhorn said the support from the state to cover childcare costs makes a difference for children now and their future.
"We don't get the help that we need until you start seeing them on the news, and it starts simple as childcare budget cuts," McGee said.
The center plans to have more informational sessions like the one from Wednesday, the dates have not been announced.
