You might be wondering who we are, and why we started UC3. In coming blog posts, I will introduce you to our entire team and why we are so invested in improving access to quality child care.
While our specific reasons are personal, we all came to the same conclusion that access to affordable, quality child care would have monumental effects on our economy, our families’ well-being, and women’s potential.
We have found we are nowhere near alone. No matter who we talk to, the lack of accessible, affordable child care resonates with almost everyone. In almost every family, sacrifices have to be made to care for children before they begin kindergarten. These sacrifices result in families that struggle due to:
-expenses that can be higher than college tuition, and
-the opportunity costs of leaving the workforce and forgoing a career trajectory.
In my case, I have decided to not have children because as a “late-bloomer” career-wise, I would be off-ramping at a critical moment after I’ve worked very hard to get where I am in a career I deeply love. I’ve also conducted research where I listened to women all over the state regret leaving the workforce for so long because they feel like they are starting from square one with outdated skills.
It terrifies me. I will instead be the best aunt to my nieces and nephews, and fight for women who want to have both a family and a career.
If you want to tell us your story, take our very short survey here: http://tinyurl.com/UC3Stories
#closethegap,
Marin Christensen
