SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — A mom in Sarasota County gave birth to a beautiful baby boy 7 months ago, but just as she returned back to work following her maternity leave, she got devastating news.
She was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer.
Her battle to find childcare has been uphill, and as she's dealt with chemo treatments at the same time as trying to take care of her baby, she said it's been hard on both of them.
This story may be a bit unique, but it highlights cracks in the childcare system we’ve been talking about since last year.
When you’re a new parent, every second of every day is spent on your sweet baby. If you ask Amber Teed, she would tell you it's worth it.
“I love it. He’s such a good baby," she said as he made a specific noise. "That’s his sleepy song when he gets tired.”
Teed was right—her son, Kyrie, fell asleep in her arms minutes later. And while he slept quietly, Amber shared something deeply personal with me.
“It couldn’t happen at a worse time," she said.
She described what sent her to the E.R. shortly after going back to work from maternity leave. She said sharp pains in her stomach prompted her to go. A short time later, the diagnosis was confirmed.
She said doctors wanted to admit her and start treatment right away.
“I couldn’t stay at the hospital and not be home with him," she said.
That’s because she still hadn’t found childcare.
Before she found out about her diagnosis, she attempted to get help from the Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County.
“They said they still didn’t have any funding, and we would just have to stay on the waiting list until we hear something," she said.
The ELC told ABC Action News that it had to close intake for new families applying for financial assistance back in October in order to stay within budget for the year.
The ELC faced another challenge last year — county commissioners initially voted to cut half a million dollars in funding that would serve families in the county between 150-200% below the federal poverty level. That’s where Teed fell before she had to leave her job following her diagnosis.
"I’m not exactly sure why funding would be cut from one of the most important programs there is to help single parents," she said.
The ELC did eventually secure $300 million in funding and the state matched that amount.
And even though the ELC reopened intake for new families in January, hundreds of families are still on the waiting list and that's including Teed.
CEO Janet Kahn said the Department of Labor received approval to release additional funds to several ELCs, and if received, Kahn said they'd use that money to cut down the waiting list.
Teed has tried getting help elsewhere -- her first round of chemo was brutal while also taking care of Kyrie.
“My first treatment, I was actually in the bed for four days. I was terribly sick. I could not even stand up," she said. "The first two days I actually had him, and I struggled to even get out of bed to change his diaper and make his bottles or anything.”
Last week, Teed finally received help through Children First Head Start, which will fund childcare for Kyrie from 8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. and will also help with diapers, food, and other supplies.
It gives Teed renewed hope for the future, but what really keeps her going is her son.
“He’s my reason. He’s going to be what keeps me fighting," she said. "Every time I feel like giving up, I just look at his face and know that’s not an option.”
Teed’s situation is rare, but it underscores issues within the childcare system.
Janet Kahn, the CEO of the Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County, said there is “continued advocacy at the state level to look at funding models.”
She said many factors like population changes, children currently being served, and kids on the wait lists should be considered when funding is divided up each year. She thinks the current model is outdated, and while some factors may be looked at, she believes all of them are needed to ensure an “equitable allocation of funds.”
Aside from that, she said the only thing that could change the funding situation right now would be a large donation of private funds.
Click here to go to Teed's GoFundMe page if you'd like to help.
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