Cleo’s Post

It takes a village to raise a child. How many times do we hear this.. most #parents I know will roll their eyes when they hear it 🙄 “where is my village???!!” But new research shows #workingparents are “forced to rely on six different people to help raise their child” Who’s making up this village? 👉 Family members such as grandparents (46%) 👉 Extended #family such as aunts, uncles, cousins and siblings (26%) 👉 Best friend (17%) 👉 Neighbours (8%) On average, children spend four days a week with their support system, though 16% of working parents say they depend on them every single day of the week. And still 1/3 say they feel they need a second version of themselves to get by 🤯 And 1 in 3 worry the most about the quality of the care or #education their child is receiving. And the cherry on top 🍒 almost-three quarters (72%) believe that their #employer has an obligation to help working parents balance their work and personal lives. Most parents I know are teetering on the edge… feeling like their whole lives are hanging by a thread. One sick day. One nursery closure. One extended business trip away from catastrophic breakdown. Honestly, feel exhausted just writing this. When do we get a break? When will society recognise how precarious the whole set-up is of raising #children? No-one is winning.. and it’s taking it’s toll on the #mentalhealth of parents AND children. Interested to know how many people in your village?? https://lnkd.in/ejqfy2Sv

It rained on my barbecue. So here I am to say these few words in honor of independence day. I was talking with a fellow little kid parent the other day. Dual income family: a teacher and a social worker with two children. They rent but are trying to buy -- hopefully something with a bit of a yard. They have been looking for 6 months. But they can't find anything that they can afford that is in a decent neighborhood, big enough, and with even a small back yard. Let that sink in. These are folks who dedicate their lives to educating children and helping people. Both parents work at least full-time. But when you add it all up (especially childcare), they can't afford to buy a decent house. We have to do better than this. The fact that many millions of Americans cannot afford to buy a decent house is not some sort of moral failing on their part. It is a systemic and structural failure. It is a failure of our society, our country, our leaders, our policymakers, and our values. And we have to do better. But we are not focused on doing better -- certainly not our government and our policymakers. Certainly not our elected leaders. If there is an American dream, then that dream needs to be accessible and affordable to regular people. It should not take a full-time job and two side hustles to have a decent life. I'm good. Me and mine are just fine. So maybe I'm wired differently. Because I always ask myself: What about people who didn't have the same advantages as me? Yes, even growing up working class in small town PA, I had many advantages. What about people like this couple - who work in public service - and make way less money? What about everybody else? The answer is not hustle culture, hustle porn, and to tell people "just work harder". I know so many hard-working people - working class and middle class - who are fighting just to keep their head above water. And it shouldn't be that way. There is dignity in any sort of honest work. In the America that I envision and strive toward building, anybody who is willing to work 40 hours a week should be able to afford a decent life. That means buying a home. Good food to eat. Medical care. Child care. Schools that are at least halfway decent. This shouldn't be the good life that only the fortunate, the privileged, and the wealthy can afford. This should be the American way of life -- accessible to nearly all of us. A basic standard and quality of life - a good life - should be just as attainable for the teacher and the factory worker and the janitor and the line cook as it is for the lawyer or doctor or executive. The future of our country very much depends on whether we embrace this notion or reject it --- reject it in favor of arguments to the contrary. Well, I embrace it. This is America. Anybody who is willing to work should be able to afford a decent life. I believe that. I'll always fight for that. JP

The landscape of children's needs in care has seen significant shifts in recent years. Emotional and psychological support is more critical than ever, alongside the traditional requirement for safe housing. With the rise of social media and new pressures on young people, mental health has become a focal point in care provision 🧠. Approximately 60% of low-risk children are transitioning into foster care, leaving a higher percentage of higher-risk children in residential care who require more intensive support. Notably, around 40% of registered homes are not accepting higher-risk children. This shift poses additional risks to residential care homes, including a higher likelihood of being downgraded by Ofsted if the increased needs are not adequately met. Children's homes are adapting by incorporating therapeutic approaches and providing specialised training for staff. Ensuring that caregivers can offer comprehensive support is essential. More homes are creating environments that mimic family settings rather than institutional ones, which helps foster a sense of belonging and normalcy for the children. For the homes that do accept higher risk children, there has been an increase in required fees to accommodate the additional support needed. This raises the question of sustainability, as local authorities must determine if they can continuously support these increased fees. It's plausible that more residential services will become local authority-run in the future to reduce overall costs and ensure adequate support. What changes have you seen or experienced in this sector? #ChildCare #ChildrensHomes #MentalHealth

Navigating the Grandfamily Journey: A Call for Unified Support Grandfamilies created when a grandparent or other family member raises the child of a relative unable to parent face many challenges, however we know that when these families are supported, children and youth thrive: - health, mental well-veing and overall life satisfaction improves, - connections with siblings and extended family members are maintained ensuring a sense of continuity and belonging, - despite not living with birth parents, children/youth know they are part of a forever family. How can we ensure that grandfamilies, whether or not they are child welfare involved, receive the support they require? Child Trends, in a post dated February 20, 2024, shed light on the challenges faced by grandfamily caregivers, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts to provide essential services. More than 2.5 million children and youth are being raised as members of a grandfamily. While this living arrangement has proven beneficial for children and youth, the additional responsibilities often place significant strain on caregivers, affecting their health and ability to provide optimal care. Challenges Faced by Grandfamilies: 1. Legal Challenges - Unlike birth parents, grandfamily caregivers lack automatic legal rights. The process of obtaining legal relationships can be expensive and time-consuming, disrupting family dynamics. 2. Financial Struggles - Financial support group grandfamily caregivers is often inadequate and inequitable, with access issues hindering assistance. 3. Physical and Mental Health - Both caregivers and children in grandfamilies often face heightened physical and mental health issues, a result of the challenging situations that led to their current living arrangements. 4. Housing Hurdles - Inadequate living space and housing-related issues create additional stress for grandfamily caregivers. 5. Educational Obstacles - School policies geared towards nuclear families can pose challenges for grandfamilies, affecting enrollment and participation in the education system. To truly address the needs of grandfamilies, we must overcome the silos associated with professional disciplines. A holistic approach involving collaboration among various systems is crucial. Additionally, inviting individuals with lived experience - heads of grandfamilies, children and youth within these families, and birth parents - to the discussion is paramount. The narrative of grandfamilies extends beyond the confines of the traditional family structure. The challenges faced necessitate a united front, breaking down barriers that hinder access to support. Remember that our collective efforts can pave the way for a more supportive and nurturing environment for these families, ensuring the well-being and success of the children and youth they lovingly raise. #grandfamily #crossdisciplinarycollaboration #familypartner Erica Burgess Gina Brown Teka Dempson Sixto Cancel Jerry Milner

https://lnkd.in/eRc9yMms The one area in which people who have not had children feel that parents have an advantage is that they have someone to care for them in their old age. Not so surprising, but I don't think that they expected the care needs to have grown so much with longevity and chronicity. Apparently, however, younger people's expectations regarding parenthood have broadened, with many choosing not to become parents themselves. So they are bucking the trend just when the need is expanding. 🤔 It's not that I don't think that adult children should expect to provide some care for their aging parents, it's just that I believe that people don't really know what they're getting in for, and they need more institutional and organizational support. They also need to wake up to the realities and plan ahead for their own continuing care, and perhaps not expect so much from their children. If you have a few minutes this is an interesting study of why people choose not to have children and how their relationships may or may not be impacted by their choice. That one point (which is not elaborated) about caregiving, of course, struck a chord with me. #newagingpartnership #caregivingconfidential #caregivingsupport #caregiving

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but having children is NOT free. In fact, the average cost of raising a child from birth to 18 in the UK is £220,000*. Do you want to know what parents are spending their money on? 🚗 Pram, car seat and baby furniture: £2,500 👶 Nappies and wipes: £40 per month 🍼 Formula: £100 a month 🧑🍼 Full-time childcare (from birth to 12 years old): £80,625 🧑🍼 Part-time childcare for the same period: £43,135 🍞 Food for children (from birth to 3 years old): £2,700 per year 🍞 Food for teens: £9,959 per year 👕 Clothing (from birth to 18 years old): £11,554 ⚽ Recreational activities and pocket money: £28,872 This is just an estimate cost, and it doesn’t even include other essentials like electricity bills, mortgage, medical expenses, school trips and supplies… I haven’t even accounted for family holidays! Because yeah, parents have to pay for their children’s tickets, they don’t pop out of thin air like Vittorio and Elon Musk seem to believe. Children aren’t free. That narrative is incredibly harmful because it invalidates what parents are going through. Yeah, £220k is nothing for people like Elon Musk, but most people aren’t billionaires. Their struggles are real. And they need support. This is how you can support parents in your workplace. ❤️ Include financial wellbeing in your benefits package. Qualified financial coaches (like the ones Bippit® offers) will be able to explain childcare tax allowances and other benefits your people are entitled to. They’ll also tailor their guidance so every parent is able to get the most out of their money, and the beautiful experience that’s parenthood. ❤️ Offer flexible working hours. Allowing parents to adjust their schedules to accommodate school runs, medical appointments, and other child-related activities can significantly reduce stress and improve productivity. ❤️ Provide parental leave for everybody (moms, dads, LGBTQIA+ parents…). Ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to bond with their new child without the financial stress of unpaid leave is crucial. ❤️ Create a supportive culture. Encourage an environment where taking time off for family emergencies or attending school events is not only accepted but encouraged. ❤️ Set up a parents' network. Having a support group within the company where parents can share experiences, advice, and resources can foster a sense of community and support. To all parents out there, you're doing an amazing job. I know what my parents had to go through to ensure I had a great life. Know that your children will be eternally grateful. And know that we love you! _____ *Source: Shepherds Friendly (Cost of raising a child) #WorkingParents #ParentingSupport #EmployeeWellbeing #WorkLifeBalance #FinancialWellness #ParentalLeave #FlexibleWorking #ChildcareSupport #FamilyFriendly #EmployeeBenefits #MentalHealthMatters #SupportParents

The city is in danger (if not already) of becoming a place only for the extremely wealthy and the childless Over Christmas I got lunch with few friends in New York City talking about raising kids downtown For them, the cost of having a 3rd kid and getting a place with another “bedroom” would be an additional +1MM in housing to stay in the same neighborhood … and that’s before any additional ongoing costs There is a K-12 school in the neighborhood, where their kids could walk every day … but it’s private and costs >$40,000 per kid. Add to that childcare, doctors, activities, decreased parents working productivity etc The most common sense sentence of Chris Arnade’s essay in UnHerd yesterday about the deplorable state of US cities was this: “In the US, larger cities are basically two-tiered. A wealthy downtown professional class relies on inexpensive labourers who can’t afford to live near their workplace or drive a car” In regards to transportation this looks like people being able to ignore problems on the subway because they can just take an Uber. On the demise of local grocery stores, it means people can just get a personal shopper on Instacart. Both of those added “costs” pale in comparison to the cost of having children. Housing, childcare, schooling … and parental safety instincts go up 10x making public transportation even riskier The gap is so large, that I believe there the city is actually becoming THREE-tiered. To borrow Chris’s framework … it is the “Laboring” class, the “Professional” class and the VERY wealthy “Professional who can afford to have kids” class Cities are becoming places where these young wealthy professional singles are moving in and constantly churning. Losing all the investments they’ve made into building a community of friends. When a couple in the city firsts find out they are pregnant their first call is a joyous one to tell their parents … and the second is probably to an agent to find a new place in a different neighborhood. I’m convinced this is a huge contributing factor to why so many younger people are choosing to forego children. The cost isn’t just $$, it’s to uproot everything and leave the walkable life for an entirely new neighborhood or the suburbs As there are fewer kids in the city, there are fewer parents and grandparents and stakeholders to advocate for their interests. The “Urban Doom Loop” is largely an overstated scare mongering idea, driven by short term pain of empty office buildings. Real Estate will recover, though existing office investors will not. But the loss of children is a decades long trend and and a literal death spiral It will never be “easy” to have kids in the city or anywhere else, but we have to do something or else it will become a permanent transient place. And without resident stability, it’s not possible for a community to flourish.

A community can't survive without stability and children. A suburb has served both well but can't survive not being walkable--without casual, face to face connections, it's just an assembly of individuals not a community. This is the issue that imperceptibly divides us: do I choose a legacy or daily life in a close knit community? We can fix this. Retrofitting suburban places for walking and biking is the key to having both. This is the next moonshot. If we want a grand infrastructure project, build a bike network. Benito Omar Pérez, AICP CTP CAPP , Ellen Dunham-Jones ,Victor Dover, FAICP,

Across the country, parents are being forced out of the workforce due to difficulties in finding affordable child care. A 2022 National Survey of Children’s Health found that over 1 in 10 young children had a parent, mostly mothers, who had to quit, decline, or change work hours due to child care issues. Learn more about why quality child care is crucial for workforce support from The Hechinger Report below. #childcarecrisis #childcare #larimercounty

Personal share... Navigating the complexities of childcare during and after the pandemic has been one of the most challenging aspects of becoming a parent. This OPB article that discusses Oregon's child care affordability and access issues particularly struck a chord with me, as it discusses the challenges faced by the very school where my two children attend daycare. Transitioning into parenthood during a global pandemic brought unforeseen challenges, not least of which was securing reliable child care. Now with two kids under 4, the costs of childcare soared to their height at $3,600 a month for our family, and that financial strain is palpable, for anyone. Yet, the financial burden is just one piece of the puzzle. The uncertainty surrounding the availability or viability of infant programs—a vital service that teeters on the brink of closure—adds another layer of stress. Our family was fortunate to secure a spot when vacancies briefly increased as others left programs during the pandemic. However, many others we not so lucky. Four years later, we remain on alternative waitlists for other daycares where we initially placed deposits back in early 2020, and are still hovering in the 40 to 50 range for the next available spot. It's clear: the system is broken, especially for infant care. This predicament raises a crucial question: How are working parents expected to bear the full burden of a failing system? The consequences extend beyond individual families, affecting us all as talented and valuable members of the workforce are compelled to step back, not by choice, but by necessity. The frequent closures due to illness or staffing shortages only exacerbate the situation, underscoring the unsustainability of the current childcare landscape. Moreover, it's crucial to recognize that the backbone of our childcare system—the daycare workers and centers—deserves far better. These dedicated professionals undertake relentless, challenging work daily, providing care and early education that shapes the future of our society. Yet, despite the importance of their role, they often face inadequate compensation, limited benefits, and insufficient support. This not only undermines their well-being but also affects the quality and availability of care they can provide. Advocating for systemic change must include pushing for improved pay, better benefits, and comprehensive support for these workers. Their job is among the most vital in our society, and it's high time our policies and practices reflect the value of their contribution. The article resonated with me not just as a recount of the challenges we face but as a call to action. We must advocate for systemic change to make child care accessible and affordable for all families AND for daycare workers to get the wages and support they deserve. It's time to rethink how we support working parents and their children. After all, the future depends on it.