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The thought of being a new mother brought a feeling of excitement and mystery to my mind.
I was so ready to start school and put my son in daycare, so that me and my fiancé could work.
I thought that it was going to be easy to find daycare for a 7-month- old, since we had already picked out the center that we wanted him to go to.
The only problem was that we were still waiting on the daycare assistance.
I have been on a waiting list for assistance since April. I have friends that have already received assistance for childcare, but I am still waiting.
This is a program that helps working parents and also parents who are attending school full-time.
It is for low-income families who can't afford to pay for childcare out of their pockets.
When signing up, I told the office assistant at Durham's Alliance for Child Care that I would be attending school full-time, and that my fiancé would also be working a full-time job.
It is going to be very difficult to switch shifts in order to watch my son, when we should be able to find a reliable daycare that can watch him while we are at school and work.
People who don't even attend school or work already have daycare provided by Durham's Alliance.
Apparently, the reason that it is taking me so long to receive assistance is that my fiancé signed my son's birth certificate.
It seems as though more support is given to single parents than a couple that actually wants to be together.
I didn't know that signing a birth certificate would cause me so much trouble.
Therefore, they are expecting us to provide the payments for daycare until I receive assistance.
Some parents have been waiting for almost two years for assistance and still haven't received anything.
I called the office in charge of distributing childcare assistance, and was told no funds were available.
There was only one time that I received an answer that was actually beneficial, and I took a deep breath when I received it. I found out that I may be next to receive my funds.
If there are no funds, then how are other parents receiving help for childcare?
It all just makes me wonder if I could have received assistance as a single mother that was not trying to pursue an education.
My experiences with the local department of social services have been both good and scary at times.
Without safe and reliable daycare, I am still trying to figure out how I am going to pursue my bachelor's degree and how my fiancé is going to keep his job.
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