Welcome to our Family Voices Blog/Vlog series! Grab your favorite cup of coffee or tea to enjoy while you immerse yourself in the real-world child care experiences of families from across the nation. These stories all have been written or video logged by people just like you and me who care deeply about the child care choices they have and see immense value in the opportunities that early care and education services offer for children, families, employers, and communities.

Child care was a lifesaver for my family and me. I am a single mom and have taken my three children to child care since they were 2 years old. I would not have been able to support my family without child care. When my children turned of age in 2012 I also received custody of my niece and nephew. I took them to the same family child care home that my children went to. The kids loved it. They participated in so many learning activities, were well fed, and loved it like they were in their own home.

I work in the nonprofit sector. It is something I am incredibly passionate about, but I do not make a lot of money. I have twin boys that are just over a year-and-a-half old now. They are in child care and have been since they were infants. Fortunately, I was able to get an ABC voucher that greatly offsets the cost of their child care. (I currently pay $100 per week). If I didn't have an ABC voucher then I would be paying $1,600 per month or more for child care. There is no way I could afford that. There is no way that most people could afford that.

It's time for a call-in day to Congress while there still time to let them know that we need to prioritize child care funding in the FY 2018 budget.

Spotlight

Christina Nelson, Mountain View Child Care, North Troy, Vermont