It Takes a Village - By Elizabeth & Family

For challenges (finding care services), it is as simple as finding someone I trust with my kids. How do you even go about finding someone and deciding in such a short time that they are a person you are willing to trust with the people you love most? I can't just leave my kids with a stranger; that is so scary. I know a lot of families who have to make this choice though, because there aren't a lot of options, good or bad, in our area for child care.

My biggest success is that I have someone to help me that I trust with my kids. She isn't there for just my kids, though. I trust her with everything, because my own struggles don't end when my kids have things going on. Being able to have her to talk to and to help raise my babies is the best thing I have right now. I can keep a job and know that my kids are well taken care of. If I didn't have her, I couldn't work to make a better life for my family.

The services I need most for my family is specialized care that takes public insurance; it’s hard to find in our area, I don't think it exists… Not only are we struggling to find quality child care, but also any sort of medical need that is beyond the basic check-ups requires families to drive long distances. The transportation issues to go these long distances can include: the availability of even having a family car, if you do have a car - is it reliable enough to get you that far, the cost of gas, or if the place you have to go can be reached by public transportation - that comes with its own set of issues… It all adds up and some days, it feels impossible to even just meet our kids' basic needs.