 Hello and welcome to the back story tonight. We're going to tell the back story on the unseen costs of child care and the implications for child care in the cost of child care for our local economy and the stability of our workforce My name is Tim Watters and as a volunteer for Longmont Public Media I get to host this program which gives me a Chance to interview guests like I'm going to have a chance to interview this evening who I'll have the pleasure of introducing in just a moment To talk about this you actually do storytelling to share stories of what's happening in the community that at least I think are relevant and interesting And I hope you will as well We're coming to you tonight as we do the last Monday of every month Although this is the third Monday of the month doesn't it next week is Labor Day or Memorial Day So we're coming to you a week earlier this this this month from beautiful downtown Longmont the Longmont Public Media Studios We have a live studio audience this evening and so to the audience members who are with us When we get 40 minutes or so into the hour if audience members have questions that they'd like to To participate in this conversation They're going to be invited to join us if they have them and if you're not in the studio audience tonight You're missing a good time down here in Longmont So think about next month when we're going to be talking about the second of a two-part series tonight's the first part We're going to be talking about problems challenges not necessary Necessarily solutions to the unforeseen costs of child care and its impact on the economy So we'll come back to the to the questions about solutions and options, but tonight I have three women who are gainfully employed running businesses high-level High-profile executive jobs in and around Longmont. You're going to most of you are going to know who they are because of what they do And each of them has their own story about how they've continued to stay in the workplace earn a living for their families and Manage all the implications of being a mom at the same time that they're professional women So Sarah Morgan is the owner of Martina B. Stroh's B. Stroh, right? Everybody in town knows Martini's So Sarah, thank you. I know this is a tough time for you in particular Probably peak moment in your restaurant. So thank you for what you do day in and day out But thanks for being here tonight and sharing the story Amy Ashenbrenner. I've known Amy for number of years here, but as the director of the realtors association and in just recently has made some transition to a Maybe a less frenetic job, but still in the in the real estate business with Boulder Bolo realtors Bolo realtors and Jessica Erickson who is now the director of business development with Sun construction Sarah Sarah Jessica and I've worked together For a number of years when she was the director of the Longmont Economic Development Partnership and has now made this transition to Sun construction in their business development. So Ladies that's as much as I'm going to try to talk less. Have you talked more? Let's get started with just those introductions. I'd like you to start by telling Sharing with our listeners your stories Sarah well if we could just start with you and you'll just kind of work around the table Help us get to know you your background your professional life and what kind of what brings you into this conversation? So I started as a general manager for Martini's B. Stroh in 2018 this is my 25th year in the restaurant industry and And so I 25 years and I'm looking at me like clearly like I started very early in the restaurant Yeah, you were just a baby pretty much I was 13 when I got my first job in the restaurant industry You really were baby. I really was and so I did dishes and bus tables and made salads This was never my life goal to be a restaurant owner by any means the restaurant industry was always a Lily pad for me. I could jump in jump jump out and For our cultural society wise at the restaurant industry is that for a lot of people? It's a very transient industry and so like most of us in this industry I did the restaurant While I was always trying to leave the restaurant. So I got my associates of nursing I got my bachelor's degree in equine science and pre vet. I did ranching for a while. I was a Art consultant for a while. I've been all around like really the professional world and You know, I definitely have the how hard could it be Jean so whatever industry I get in I'm bound on tournament I'm gonna be great at it gonna figure it out and When I was graduating from CSU with my degree in equine science and pre vet that point I was 30 and Really felt like I thought at that point I've been married for about seven years And I was really ready to start trying to have children And so when I graduated CSU I was pregnant with my first child and I decided not to go on to vet school And then considering at that point during my last two years at CSU I was managing a wine bar in Fort Collins and Had left that and just moved over to Chimney Park Which at that point is one of the top 100 restaurants in the country and I've always loved fine dining I'm a second-level Psalm and so summer yay. So moving over to Chimney Park was really a ton of fun I mean really good money and a little bit of time and So I was at Chimney Park through my pregnancy and that was really my goal was to Maintain that job so then I could work at night and still be at home with my baby during the day Always wanted children. I always wanted to be a mom and I've always had this this mentality that professionally I didn't need to lessen myself so I could be a mother and I don't believe I need to be less of a mother so I could be a professional and So I felt like at that point in my life It was a really good fit but then a week after I had my daughter my husband at that time had lost his job and I had to get back to the corporate world. I needed more more everything more sustainability we need security and so I'd gotten into the franchising industry and That was my first time in the franchising industry I had never really acknowledged how large of an industry it was any kind of concept or Industry you can you can really bounce around within franchising And so I was on the restaurant side and I was doing quick service or fast food restaurants I was a franchise development coordinator and It was it was everything that I needed for my family. I made good money I had a lot of upper's mobility. I traveled a ton but I started this job when my daughter was six weeks old and so I was still nursing I was still very postpartum and I had to put all that aside because I had a family to support and I never really gave myself space to Accept or even consider like did I have any kind of postpartum depression? How was I feeling about being a mother? How was I was I getting to be the mom? I wanted to be absolutely not I was I knew I was very sad about that But just kind of I put it in a box and move forward and I had to be the best I could be because I had a lot on the line and I did that was right at the time where we had hired a new VP of HR for for Tucker Johns and she was so progressive. She was very much about Satellite working and you know, and I leaned into that hard it really as a franchise development coordinator I could do my job anywhere as long as I had a cell phone and internet connection and my computer and So especially that as much as I was traveling for work when I started to ask for more of that balance for me At least can I work at home so I can be with my my baby a little bit more and the demographic in the The overall or majority demographic for the office wasn't so supportive of that I was definitely the youngest one in my office and getting a lot of pushback because culturally that's not how they did it And so I definitely especially now being an employer. I understand the hesitation for it and still this day I do definitely believe that there's some needed balance and boundaries in order to be an effective Parent and working from home is still trying to be around your child. That that's a whole nother ball game But I beg for that and they I did get a lot not a lot But I did get a lot more flexibility with my schedule at least I wasn't needing to be in the office every day But still no less. It was it was a major strain on me as a mom as me as a parent and definitely on me like on my family and so I did that job until that job ended and it kind of left me at that point had just had my second child and Was definitely Acknowledging is probably giving me my last and so I wanted to take as long of a maternity leave as I could at that point And I was a little bit more in a secure place professionally with the same company at that point And so I took the full three months and then that all that responsibility with that needing to be able to forward Taking three months off of work and making that happen but got it together and it was good and And then eventually that when I did get back from maternity leave It wasn't long until that my position was dissolved anyways We're going through a big leadership change and so then after that I was like, you know what? This is okay. I have a new farm. I have both my children I can now I can ride horses at my place and just figure out life and I'm finally gonna be able to be the parent I want to be and That was on Friday when my job ended and then on Monday I had a really bad accident that landed me in a wheelchair for about eight weeks and physical therapy for 20 weeks And so I was still actively interviewing for other jobs within the franchising industry I've been really successful in my position, but now that I couldn't travel so easily I was not a Candidate for the positions and so quickly like the interest of me kind of died off and it landed me back on This side of the restaurant industry and it was you know, one of the greatest things ever to happen because it put me right back Where I am happiest and it gave me the most flexibility again to be with my my children Now the money and the income was obviously different and so that took a little Readjusting and figuring that out, but I was back to working Later afternoons and into the evenings when my children were sleeping. I had coverage at home I was still married at the time so I had coverage at home to watch them while I was working but during the day and You know the weekends I could really rearrange my schedule to work or be a little bit more accommodating to being a parent So I started working at Martini's in 2018 as the general manager And then my life happened to where I was able to buy it in 2020 And it was just an incredible opportunity and that's where I realized the stewardship of now being an employer It was really on me to build the culture of for my employees What did I want for them and realizing how much I wanted to be at home with my children? I liked the restaurant industry because of the flexibility it afforded me How can I offer this to more industry professionals that have children that don't feel like their whole life needs to be for work? They can come in they can make good money They can have benefits and they can still have coverage for their children when they need it And so that's really what I have developed Martini's and my my managing company is service LLC So service LLC is now comprised of industry professionals and the majority of us are parents or nonetheless We have active interests that we like to explore outside of work and we cover each other Appropriately for that some of my proudest moments in the restaurant is when I have an employee with a new baby And and she's got to come in and bring the baby and that baby will go on my chest Well, she goes and does something and so I've got the baby carrier and we're vacuuming and we've got a playpen set up in the office And I'm proud to be able to do that, but that's really where I feel like as a culture We've we've gotten away from that but the more conversations I have about this I realize how many people are very Flexible and open and accommodating whereas I feel like we've as a culture has we've kind of taken that almost 1950s mentality of oh, no babies don't come around babies don't need to be heard But I I believe that you want to support the workforce you support the family and it raises the children into the workforce We become a better society. They learn about work ethic and responsibility, which I do think a lot of our our generations right now are Having major issues with that. And so I feel like because of this neglect that we've almost Adopted as being okay with our children. It's really kind of starting to take to Eat at us culturally. So I'm I'm excited to have some effect to try to change that and There's nothing that makes me more proud than to have my children at work with me and people know my children and they bus Tables and they pour water and my guests luckily don't mind much But I also have to manage how much you know the whole the whole environment, but it works Well, you we're gonna come back to I have a question here about creativity and you you've begun to open up some of that But I want to come back to that to what are the creative approaches occurring now, right that you can just go with on your own And whatever your workplaces, but what we'll come back to that thing Amy tell us about you. Well, that's actually a great said segue to Amy. Thank you Cuz I think I bring a little bit more of a elder No, I bring the elder to this day well, I I'm a native of Boulder. I grew up on a ranch right outside of Rocky Flats Once I finished schooling. I didn't go far. I ended up in hygiene Bought a farm there started a life that I thought that I was going to have Raising children. I have three children when my youngest was oh gosh almost Three years old for her birthday. My husband divorced me So I did not have any Professional experience at that point. I'd worked odd jobs while I was in school and whatnot But now I found myself with three children Youngest being three the oldest being eight a farm with a mortgage no health insurance and no income So what do you do, right? Fortunately for me The words of raised by a village came to play because out in the farm community. It is a village I was by the grace of God Given an opportunity to work in the office at Keeter trucking in Boulder, Colorado And I flourished and it was a fabulous experience Except for when it came for being a mom I didn't have to worry about daycare at that point because I had neighbors around me But what what I was not able to do was go to school functions to go to doctor's appointments Because there was that mindset back then with the employers and this is what would be told of me I don't know how important is your job? right my son suffered a Broken bone up at Keystone and they called and I had to go to the hospital and whatnot And when I'm walking out the door the boss at the time says to me, well, you will be back this afternoon, right? So I worked through that. I went got a different job. I keep moving up bettering myself during that time period my children are learning Responsibility and that's what plays in so key with you My older two children knew that they had to come home from school Everybody had to sit down and do homework They had to skip chores done and then they had to get dinner started and then there was the little one to take care of right Then it got to the point where I did have to get daycare for the little one I Couldn't afford daycare. There was nothing out there that was available So by asking around here was the situation. I made too much money to qualify for this, right? Just and it was like five or ten dollars Thankfully the YMCA and they had a fabulous program Going through that will just fast forward because I could go on forever I have three of the most outstanding children in the world. My son holds a master's in secondary education school Education was very important in our family my daughter Samantha the middle child is Starts working for the Department of Corrections with the state of Colorado and at 21 Then my youngest daughter Cheyenne is in the health care she does home health care I Was very fortunate throughout the years to be able to take all the experiences that I had at the different jobs that I had To not only further my education, which I worked on every night. This is My children were teaching me how to use a computer because that was before computers were readily available and Thankfully the st. Rain Valley school district We're introducing computers to the children at hygiene elementary So I saved and saved and saved and bought you know one of those great big old computers and Every night after the kid the two younger ones would go to bed My son would teach me how to use Excel and word because I knew I had to have that right It was going to get to that point. So we'll fast forward I went to work for the realtor association 24 years ago the lung line association of realtors I started as an administrative assistant. I worked my way up to the CEO of the association but the entire time I was doing that every Missed opportunity that I had with a being able to be the mom that I wanted to be Never got to be What's that called the mom the home school room mom or whatever it is or cake cupcakes or go on the field trips? I always told myself that when I got to a position where I was the boss I was never going to allow that to happen. So I created that same atmosphere I have a fabulous fabulous woman that's worked for me for years. I think we're going on to almost 10 years now It was here's what my rules are you have a doctor's appointment your child has a doctor's appointment go do it There's no counting off the time that you worked right Docking you time you're still gonna get paid you're gonna get paid the same exact amount take care of those children Your child calls. They're sick. They need to go home go home and take care of your child I firmly believe that when you create that culture that Employee for the most part. I've had a few that took advantage But for the most part they will give you back tenfold Because of what you've done. We had a rule in my house with my kids when they were little Do not call mom at work Unless you're bleeding profusely or a bonus sticking out because I couldn't leave and Then I had to run around try to find somebody that could go take care of them Jessica that's interesting because that's a good say go like this order was great unplanned I'm assuming but So I actually grew up in the in the Twin Cities in Minnesota in a household where my mother was the primary breadwinner oftentimes the only breadwinner which at the time in the age myself 80s and early 90s was not as common as it is today. It's almost half of households today but and so I watched her try to do all of the things while working full-time and supporting our family and Baking the cupcakes in the middle of the night and and missing some of the events and activities and never being the mom in In my classroom, and so I think I pretty early on Decided that I was I was not going to prioritize having children having a family Because I didn't want that for my life what I had seen my mom had have to struggle with for my life. So 2002 I moved to Colorado and relatively quickly found my way into an economic development office and really and I discovered not only my profession but my passion that sustained for the next 20 years and has allowed me to We were talking about before have a pretty exciting life because it was just me. I was on my own I was doing well. I had this great profession that provided me a lot of flexibility but was also very demanding as you know and and then in So found my way through that career path to running the Longwell economic development partnership Starting in 2015. So for eight years, I ran the Longwell economic development partnership But in I started here in February of 2015 in May of 2015. I was diagnosed with breast cancer I was 37 years old and I was told that The treatment that I was going to have to undergo as a result of breast cancer What 100% of the time affects fertility? And I was told that if I had any thought or consideration of ever wanting to be a mother that I should take measures in advance of treatment to preserve my fertility and So the first for the first time in my life. I was faced with this Motherhood of being taken from me. I wasn't making a conscious choice not to pursue it anymore I it was being taken from me. And so that's where I said, you know, I think I actually Do want to do this and at 37 about to go through breast cancer treatment Ons are slim but went through treatment and kind of aftercare and then my partner and I were fortunate enough to conceive naturally and Have a perfectly healthy Against all odds perfectly healthy normal though high-risk pregnancy and have a beautiful baby girl Of all days on March 12th of 2020 So if anyone wants to know the exact number of days ago that the pandemic started I can always tell you that And she's three years old now and and she's incredible and she's thriving But all of the sacrifices that you've talked about and all of the sacrifices that you've talked about Are ones that I have to make every day as well. And I think all of us have to make I'm Right in that position that I told myself. I didn't want to be in I'm the primary breadwinner for my household and for my family and and Every single day having to make here or their decisions What's in the best interest of the long-term? You know health and safety and wellness and financial Stability of my family versus the time and energy and effort I get to put into being the mother that I want to be and a lot of that impacted my decision to move from You know a career I had Enjoyed and and been very arguably very successful at for 20 years into something different and new and foreign Because it provided me with more consistency of schedule and stability and flexibility And financial stability than what my previous career had Well having crossed your path a number of times you said arguably I would say inarguable you were successful And I and I'm mindful right now first of all all three of your stories obviously unique to you But there are some patterns here And I want to make certain we we pull out some of those patterns because their patterns I think not just for you but for moms working moms or want to be working moms right who are making some dealing with some of the same issues And I don't want that my my fear is that I'm gonna kind of begin to frame this on the negative side because there's so much Positive that you've just shared but there are some challenges, right? Could we just let's call out The sacrifices and the challenges, you know, what what what are the constraints that we all want to understand that talented People just like you just happened to be all three of you women Really talented successful women Are are doing this because you're able to work around or overcome some of those challenges Let's just put those really kind of make them really visible for a few minutes once Reiterate you've touched on them Sacrifice what you can and can't do I want to make certain we tell the story about what you what you're challenged with Now so then we talk about how we might relieve some of those burdens later. We're clear on what we're trying to relieve. Yeah, absolutely So if you don't mind Was fortunate to participate in an event that you had with Governor Polis around early childhood care and education policy in Colorado and Had the opportunity to speak at that event So we just kind of revisit I don't want to speak for anyone else at the table anyone else in the room But I want to kind of check my privilege and say I am one of the fortunate ones Because I you know the cost, you know one of the biggest challenges of child care My household income is around 150 percent of the area median and child care costs are about 12 percent of My income my household income So if you consider someone at the median or below the median at the median that same child care costs would be 17 or 18 percent Of their household income That's that's a mortgage, right? So I again consider myself fortunate that while it's a squeeze Let's make this clear. It's nearly $2,000 a month that we pay for child care It's a squeeze for my family, but I have the ability to To do that and so have the highest quality best available child care for my my daughter that people in a different situation don't have I have to drive from Central long my home and central Longmont to Northeast Longmont back to kind of Southwest Longmont from home to child care to to Work so transportation, but again, I'm fortunate I have a vehicle a reliable vehicle that I have the ability to do that to take my daughter from or to take my daughter to daycare and get To work on time and regularly every day not everybody has that privilege or that good fortune You talked about you know flexibility of the work environment There are some jobs that just don't allow for the level of flexibility that that mind certainly does so that you know my My ability to go to work every day is dependent not only on my health and my daughter's health But also on the health of our nanny and the health of her family And so if there are one of those days where you know, we're healthy, but they're not and I can't get my daughter to child care I have the ability to Work from home. It often requires that I get up two hours before her and stay up two hours after her to get The work done that needs to get done for that day, but I have that ability and I have that option I have that good fortune to be in that position So I do think cost accessibility So where child care centers quality affordable child care centers are located? Transportation all of those things are challenges and then workplace flexibility all of those things are challenges that Are so critical to be Addressed as part of this conversation and not for people like me But for people who aren't as fortunate as me to be able to manage those things. Yeah, great I'm going to come back to I'm going to circle back on a couple of points you made but I want to invite Amy and in Sarah into this and I think and and Jessica gives a Example of a very small percentage of Whether it be mother's fathers or or partners or families in in a hole the bigger picture We all need to focus on not only at the local level But the state level is those that make up the majority which are the ones that Basically, the bottom line is they're going to work to pay for daycare And it's a very sad thing with the hopes that they will continue to advance So that when they get to that point where they don't need the daycare, you know, then you know Financially things will be a little bit more stable. I Also would love to see there be the conversation in the mindset with all employers everywhere That there has to be that work-life balance and I think that's one of the points where we're missing really talented workers out there Because they can't come to work It's not that they don't want to but they can't and then the one other thing because I could go on forever is Tim knows The transportation part of this Because there is so much Conversation at the local and state level about not driving You tell me how is a working parent supposed to do a trip? Such as what Jessica just talked about it would be impossible on public transportation With not only your briefcase that holds your computer, but the diaper bag the baby the car seat whatever else that you have to have with you It's a broad conversation So, I mean we're just kind of adding up So what would you add to this the emotional and physical warfare of Parenthood in general and then to have just the stress and any of the higher you are in the workplace the more stress is on you and There what support do we have for that? We really like just push it under a rug. We've all been there We've all done it. It's just like really I'm torn down today having to make the decision of Leaving my screaming crying child that wants to be on my side With her grandmother because I have to go to work and not not say I want to like lack on my slack on my Responsibilities with work, but right now I'm having to not be the comfort and the nurturer and the hundred percent person That I was biologically geared to be at that moment because I had to make the decision for my employer That's where I always go back to culturally. I feel like culturally we've just become so centered on economic growth Financial growth growth of the company growth of the of your finance finances growth growth We all think that we need to have the biggest house in the best car And it's like really like can we just focus on being happy? What do you need to be happy? That doesn't require the material if we did that could we kind of back off on always needing that growth? What happens if we just are happy with sustainability and getting to enjoy a company and like a work life balance the So we've talked about The unforeseen cost what these are what you've just identified are not unforeseen Some of the emotional toll that you've just described is part of that unforeseen cost, but I just want to go back to the To the number you you mentioned $2,000 a month. That's it. I may be an exit 1850 the average cost For a full-time for one child average full-time cost for childcare right now in long months $21,000 a year right so your numbers are kind of spot-on And that's it. That's if you if you earn enough and you have the options, right? That was your reference to privilege and the opportunity to have the means to do some of that working around There are there are some other numbers and these these are not mine There's a member of our audience who is tonight who's who's done the research on this so I'm gonna cite her work 8.3 billion dollars of lost wages right now annually in America Because of men and women who would like to be in the workplace and can't some of that goes to you know The stresses the economic stresses that come with it over the next ten years a Trillion dollars over the next ten years of productivity will be lost Because of the number of moms and dads who can't be in the workplace who don't just don't have the means or the Support even as little as it's been free to do the kind of workarounds that you've been able to do just to kind of make the point That what you've described Is not as true here and it's true, you know at some scale Now all that said The three of you have been creative right so no matter what anybody else does As you described Sarah an employee bring them their child in and you know You're you're caring for the child as they are doing something else Talk a little bit about the kind of the creative things not the dark side of this and and not dependent upon anybody else Right to come up with a solution We're going to talk about solutions in another in another one of these sessions What are the examples of what you've been able to create as as options for yourselves for your employees and For your family members right given the challenges of finding places and affording those being able to afford the places where you want to put your kids So when I started to work when my daughter was six weeks old I was really fortunate enough at that point that my mother-in-law was willing to move from Florida to Colorado And she got a house just around the corner from us It was a beautiful thing how it all worked out But so for the first year of my daughter's life It was my mother-in-law being able to take care of her when I was at work And then once I had a second child we definitely needed a we needed a larger house And so we decided to combine our incomes and become a multi-generational household And so we I mean as a you would speak more to this than anybody But that has I think that's a really amazing Cultural movement that we've had that the last 10 15 years of more multi-generational households That has been great because it's obviously given care and less than the financial Responsibility on my mother-in-law being of an older age But then it's also given me the care for my daughter at home so and then with my son So we weren't needing to pay out what would have been almost $4,000 Especially to have an infant in daycare is significantly more expensive than having an older child or a toddler And so that saved us $4,000 a month But was able to also like I said financially benefit my mother-in-law And my in my business Yes, I've had points where I not you know obviously I couldn't legally like write it down like looking for a new Mother for this position, but I had office things that I needed done. I needed a An executive assistant essentially and I luckily I knew one I knew a person that would just be fantastic for the job And she had just had a new baby and she was kind of scrambling about how I Could just sympathize of where she was and I was like bring him in is it set up at the playpen And take the time you want we put a chair in the office so she could breastfeed as she needed to She had the ability to still be a mom and get the job done and she did a fantastic job She was so loyal. She was so dedicated. She was so happy in her workplace. She felt effective She felt like she could grow and I was really excited to be able to offer that for her Now being divorced and now I live over my restaurant So I have an apartment about my restaurant And so I can't tell you how often my children are upstairs Somebody else's children also needs to be upstairs because we didn't have enough staff to give them the night off So it's like okay, we're since I have a daycare upstairs and like four kids running around and eating applesauce and chicken tenders And we're we're shuttling up and down the stairs shaking in on them. It's it's a really beautiful thing Yeah, it's a little stressful. Yes, it's another element to manage with work, but there's nothing wrong with it It's it's so healthy. They're almost latchkey kids with better supervision I was definitely latchkey kids so I can sympathize with that but it's just like They're they're doing well, so we've gotten creative and it's I think it eases especially It regardless of your mother or your father if you're a dedicated parent that emotional weight and stress of am I doing it, right? Is it what's am I scaring my child up or are we all thriving right now? And I'm happy to say that I think majority of my staff at least with 95% of the time say we're thriving as parents being able to thrive as professionals And part of that is really the collaboration what you've done with that workplace at the village Yeah, and you know, I was very fortunate as my children got a little older in the elementary school age. I became great friends with another Divorced mother of three who was actually in the real estate industry, which I was not at that point We worked out a Very simple deal. Neither one of us could afford to pay somebody right so her kids would come home on the school bus to my house And then be there through dinner sometimes until 10 p.m She would pick them up and then when my kids had appointments during the day She was able to take them to those appointments neither one of us had to pay the other one to be able to do either one Those are I think really great ideas that that today's Families aren't utilizing that village Mantra and maybe it's because they don't know who's in their neighborhoods. I've never lived in town I don't know what it's like to have neighbors around you So, you know, I think in my little fantasy world, everybody has really great, you know Neighbors, which I know is not always the case But it's that solution right there and that I agree with you when I first became the boss I wanted to put an ad in the paper for a single mom and Of course the attorney quickly told me I could not do that. Why can't you do that? But and why can't we do that? Why have we created the stigma and that's another part of this Conversation conversation as well is the stigma you chose to be a mom you made the decision I don't know how many times I've heard that Jessica would add to this just in terms of the creative Yeah, I mean I think very similarly at you know as fortunate As the CEO of Long Island Economic Development Partnership to put some policies in place for my staff long before I was a mother Started our discretionary leave policy, which was basically take the time off that you need to have balance and take care of your family So same without feeling that you're going to be Penalized or lose wages or not be able to financially support your family if you take the time off that you need to do so Or even to just go on vacation with them refresh and recharge with your family and have that business And so I have multiple Employees take advantage of that and you know travel the world with their kids and come back Just absolutely refreshed and much better more productive more energized employees for it and also more worldly which is was Kind of critical for the work that we were doing so that and then certainly once I had my daughter same thing set up the Play area you saw it in in my office TP table arts and crafts supplies and toys all over the place and And so many you know afternoons and evenings spent in the office with my with my little one Make it at work. So I think the answer to this question is yes, but I'll ask it then unpack it or better go down Are you in conversations with other parents other working parents mom's dads in your in your professional spheres who are dealing with the same kinds of issues I Have a child that's Going through these issues. So I know you're not spokesperson for others, right? But what do you hear it from your kids your college your associates, you know, my daughter has a Three-year-old special needs which makes daycare even more expensive, right and it was that whole trying to create how Mom I need to go to work financially I need to go to work But almost everything I makes going towards this daycare Right and Fortunately, it's worked out for her because she's in the home health care profession. She works at night When the little ones asleep and whatnot and then She's found a fabulous Wonderful daycare setting that they actually call it school and it's only for special needs, but It's that difficulty of It would be great if everybody had it Easier to find daycare easier to do that to be able to afford it but that that's just not the reality and Seeing it firsthand with my daughter Yeah, because it's different from when I had children and you talk about latchkey kids When my son received his Masters, that's what his speech was that Thankfully because he had a mother that was single and raised three children and taught him the hard work ethics How to do housework how to do Cook dinners how to take care of siblings. He was able to achieve his accomplishments. So I mean some Moms groups on social media where there's a lot of conversation around child care and then the number of conversations around You know, where can I find child care that I can afford and that is accessible and available to me based on my schedule? Not everybody in 2023 works nine to five Monday through Friday but that's when child care is available because Child care providers also have families that they want to go home to in the evening and spend their weekends with so How do we address the challenge of? Accessibility for all regardless of kind of what your schedule is or what your profession is to be able to access child care and then the number of conversations around how do I work from home and Care for my child at the same time and the fact that that's even a Necessary conversation is just so Devastating, I don't think anybody should be in that put in that position where they have to find a way to Simultaneously work from home and I think a lot of times the conversation is oh the pandemic provided for this Opportunity for us to be able to work from home and have our kids there at the same time That is no kind of opportunity and that is no kind of life that anybody should aspire to or have to be Put into there need to be options for for people of all walks of life and in all situations and in all kind of scenarios so What are the implications? What are your observations about the workforce more you know broad more broadly conceptualized or thought about? and This idea of working at home as a as either either a requirement or it's an attraction or is as the opposite The relationship between child care and recruitment and stability the workforce What what's it? What's for you especially for you too as you're recruiting and I don't know if Amy you're recruiting employees right now, but the implications for recruitment and development in and Sustaining a workforce given the challenges of child care. What are the challenges there? It's just the loss of incredible talent that I can't I I have friends who are just incredible restaurant industry professionals and They I cannot get them back into their workforce because of the child care issue because of how expensive Because of how you know financially our our industry really works its feast or famine throughout the year And so it's it's a lot and so they've just chosen not to Rejoin the workforce after having children or they try to go Find another new another industry to pursue and it's kind of sad because they made a good amount of money in The restaurant industry to see them leave to go take half because they get a better schedule for day care It worked a little better logistically with children or you know the health care cost something It's just it's hard makes it really difficult. Um, so yeah, that's part of the conversation. I think is it There's a lot of industry out there including mine Where we can't pay what they can get in other places and that may be the whole package right health insurance The salary or by our wage or whatnot So they're either Choosing not to get back into the workforce, which is so very sad because there's a lot of extremely Intelligent and talented people out there that are not working that want to work They just can't make it happen or they are going into a line of work that they absolutely hate And there's nothing worse than working some place that you hate So a couple well just one observation you're talking about the restaurant industry specifically but when you look at the availability of child care And it primarily being you know that kind of 9 to 5 of Monday through Friday and where it is available Earlier or later or on the weekends. It's more expensive But when you consider who's working the earlier the overnight the weekend Those are not the highest wage-paying jobs that are out there. So it's just this Double yeah double-edged sword and also reverse mentality of what it should be in order to create a sustainable and affordable child care system for everyone and What else I was gonna say well I'm gonna if there's any audience members who would like to ask a question I'm gonna ask them to come over here now And but I'm gonna ask one more question as somebody makes their way there and if there's no one there We're just gonna keep going on with the conversation Here's the question. I'd like to follow along with We're talking about problems tonight and the challenges a month from now. We're gonna talk about solutions What would you want? Anybody who's thinking about addressing some of the challenges are the issues What would you want them to thinking about doing and not doing like make certainly cover these bases and make certain You don't make these mistakes. I would like to see that there is an affordable child care Option out there for all For all it serves multiple Purposes one so that we can get our workforce back up and working and Two so that we can prepare these children to start kindergarten with knowledge Strong opinions on this topic have been part of a lot of conversations over the last few years in terms of just based on my position with long dot EDP and the Relationship with you in the city of Longmont But a few things that have struck me with all of those conversations that I think are maybe some Unintended misses on the part of the people that are having those conversations and driving those conversations and the resulting Policy that is intended to be helpful That isn't always like 10 hours of free preschool is not helpful Just throwing that out there. I appreciate the intention and the effort that was put into it's Useless to most of people most of the people that need Can we just cause right there just so folks know you're talking about the universal pre-care program Yes, the universal pre-care program some some may think of it was a governor's initiative supported by the legislature and supported by the public Yeah, but the mindset that somehow that solves the problem. Yeah, is is misunderstood. Yeah, and so from that you know We have an entire economic system in this country That's based on the idea of a nuclear family that was irrelevant almost as soon as it was conceived of And so everything from the way suburban housing development Transportation systems that are intended to transport an individual from one place to another usually a man from home to work and work to home as well as Obviously childcare and even K through 12 education all of these systems are based on this idea of a nuclear family that again Has not been relevant since it was conceived of none of us none of our stories And I would venture to guess most of the stories of the people in this room and the people that might be watching this are that of a Nuclear family and so we need to throw that out as the basis or the foundation for how policies around things like Childcare and education and housing development and transportation are talked about And then I think if a municipality like or government entity whether it be the state or the municipality or the county Is really serious about making childcare a priority That priority has to be ubiquitous across the organization So everybody down to the clerk at the planning counter has to understand that childcare is a priority for this city And is a priority within their job and has to be directed to address projects related to child care as Priority as such so businesses that are Building new facilities that include child care Residential development that are including child care facilities within the bounds of that development or Childcare centers themselves should be placed at higher priority when you're considering things like planning and permitting and all of the things That have to go through there's a little Drop-in daycare facility and just down the street on third and lashley That has just started to go fund me page because their construction and permitting has been so delayed They're they now fear that they're not going to be able to open with some additional financial resources So are there things that the city could have done at the very like bottom level of Services to be able to make that a little easier path for them in order to create that Resource that's going to be a huge benefit to someone like myself who often needs that earlier or later And then I've said this before I'll say it again in every room that I get to have this conversation in Do not have policy conversations around childcare and early childhood education Do not make it about us without us So none of those conversations should be had without having actual parents who are having that lived experience today as part of that Conversation, I think that's where you end up with bad policy well-intended bad policy because you're not including the people that are being impacted in those conversations and part of that means consider Childcare when you're planning your events and your conversations and your meetings to have those conversations Is there on-site childcare available? Are you having them at convenient hours for? Working parents who need to consider child care. I had to make special arrangements for So I almost brought her with me So that would be yeah the final thing just don't make it about us without us when you're having these policy conversations Sounds like you've been thinking about this Any other comments? No, I one of my concerns about having this conversation was the talk about Affordable child care and as much as I love the sound of that. I also probably would not utilize it It scares me so much for affordable childcare. Yes I want it obviously to be cheaper and easier on my finances, but affordable child care That's still a business at the end of the day That means a lower wage for the people taking care of my children and that's what I agree with you on that So maybe the choice of verbiage was wrong But it would be more along the lines of something like what Jessica was talking about We're gonna write this topic of affordability and how to make it things affordable or subsidized work That's going to be on the table. We have a question First of all, thank you. These have all given me great insights into this whole topic and a lot of interesting stories The first thing is you talked Sarah. I think you talked about the life work balance And all of you've been in many many different jobs many different industries Do you find that the life work balance is getting worse or getting better? I personally And having seen my mother as a single mom and my grandparents Culturally I I can see where Us having so many conversations about the work life balance It's now becoming more of a forefront of Or top of my thinking for a lot of people what for the employee for what they're looking for What kind of jobs and professions they're looking for and then for the employer as well realizing That if you really do try to honor the work like the work life balance Then you and result normally have a lower turnover of your staff Which is going to increase your your economic efficiency So I think that we're getting better with the work life balance and more conversations we have about it Yeah, the fact that it's even a term and that we're having that conversation like No, my mom worked in the insurance industry for 25 years and nobody There in her office was talking about work like balance or gave to Or gave a care about About whether or not her work in her life were balanced and you know for me I work for a relatively large company that has And part of the reason I'm there is because they place a priority on family values and so That is definitely a benefit a value add to And again, I think as we've said makes me A better more productive more balanced mentally and and psychologically balanced employee for them as well We uh, I can't show you may have more questions. We're at the end of this hour And I only got to half my questions This is a great panel Maybe we'll have more opportunity to talk about to reengage on this topic on what the problems are But I just want to tell you how much I appreciate again You're being here tonight What you do every day in your contributions to this community and you will you're gonna We're all going to get we're going to be smarter walking out of this room tonight about the challenges Working moms and dads face. In fact, we would have had a fourth panelist here tonight a single dad With it with a disabled child in a setting He couldn't work out child care tonight to be with us So if we had helped him with that he might have been able to make it But that's just an example of what we're talking about So It's it's the challenges are daunting. I don't think they're insurmountable And long monitors on june 26. We're going to be back here to talk about solutions In the longmont public studio at 6 p.m. On june 26. Join us. Thank you. Thanks. Thanks