March 23, 2021
I don’t know about you, but one of my biggest stresses as a parent has centered around money, work, and finances. When I was a new mom without any guaranteed maternity leave, I was super stressed about taking the time I needed to heal after birth and bond, care for, and learn to breastfeed my baby. Then, when I re-entered the workforce, I worried about what would happen if my child or another family member ever got sick for a long period of time, or if I needed to take any kind of medical leave for myself.
I am not alone in these fears. For many American families, the financial and emotional toll of not having any kind of safety net for times like these is a huge source of stress. Often, it’s also a major financial strain. Every day, families go into debt because they have to leave jobs or take unpaid leaves of absence in order to care for their families or themselves.