NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Nashville leaders are looking out for families in this year's budget.
The city earmarked $200,000 for a countywide childcare study.
Because childcare is both costly and limited, many families, like Molly Amarir's, have nowhere to turn. Amarir has a one-year-old son. While she works full-time from home, he's there too.
"It's hard because you feel like half the time you're not being a good enough mom and the other half of the time you're not doing your work enough," Molly Amarir said.
Their family investigated home-based care options for their infant son. What was available was expensive.
"We're still kind of weighing our options and looking at our budget," Amarir said as her son giggled in the background. "Yeah, it's so funny. You are so expensive," Amarir said to him with a smile on her face.
Earlier this year, a Vanderbilt University and United Way study found that Davidson County would need to double the number of childcare spots to accommodate every child five and younger. It also revealed which neighborhoods have the most unmet local childcare needs — mostly communities in the Southeast region of the county. The study also pointed out how hard it is to find regulated home-based or extended-hours child care.
In addition to more research, parents told me they want to see more workplaces provide childcare in the office. That way they could be present with their children when they need to be and be confident when it's time to step away to get work done.
"You always feel like you're failing at something," said Lillian Kay, a full-time remote worker with two children. "I'm using my lunch break to try and get him out doing stuff."
If your family is forced to go without adequate childcare, I want to hear your story. Send me an email at hannah.mcdonald@newschannel5.com.
Journalism is at its best when we can shine a light on an issue that needs more attention. Once again, Hannah McDonald does this beautifully by highlighting the hardships of teens aging out of the foster care system. I learned something new in her reporting and am inspired by the work I AM NEXT is doing to make a difference. I think you will be too!
-Carrie Sharp
