The following essay was written by Krystle DuPree, a working mother and member of the Ann Arbor School Board. The views expressed here are hers and not those of the Ann Arbor School Board, her employer, or any other group.
Enjoy.
In March of 2020, the world as we knew it came to a grinding halt. Restaurants lowered their numbers to a close. A new fashion and safety accessory emerged as we all covered our faces in crowded spaces. Most significantly, schools and childcare centers that served as essential support to parents and working families closed their doors in the name of health and safety. However, although schools and childcare centers closed, for many parents, work continued, so they faced a significant dilemma, according to the U.S Census bureau. Parents either have had to cut back on work hours or usher in a new generation of latchkey kids.
In states that lead the way in school closures, women were 68% more likely to cut back on or stop working during the school closures in 2020. 1 in 5 working adults stated that they stopped working during the pandemic due to a lack of or a significant change in childcare. Of those not working, women ages 25-44 were almost three times as likely as men not to be working due to childcare demands. When we think of the disproportionate effect on Black and Brown women, Essence magazine noted in December of 2020 that Black mothers are twice as likely to be responsible for CONTINUE READING: Childcare is critical infrastructure and for families of color, it’s even MORE critical | Eclectablog