Get to Know: Along the Way
In the United States, women — often single mothers — hold the majority of low-wage jobs. These jobs usually require work hours in the evenings and on weekends when schools and daycares are closed, making the lack of adequate (and affordable!) child care one of the biggest obstacles to obtaining and maintaining employment.
Along the Way, a WOMEN’S WAY General Operating Fund grantee, is working to combat this challenge by connecting working parents and families with childcare and support. We recently interviewed Kristina Valdez, Chief Executive Officer at Along the Way, to learn more about what Along the Way (ATW) is doing to combat the childcare crisis, the impact the WOMEN’S WAY General Operating Fund has had on their work, and what’s in store for Along the Way in 2023.
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Give us a snapshot of Along the Way and the work you do.
There are 300,000 single moms in Pennsylvania. Because of childcare concerns, we have underemployed or unemployed moms. Some moms are only picking up shifts when they can find a friend or neighbor or someone else to watch their kids. Then there are some moms that are employed, but there’s the stress burden of having to do the patchwork [of constantly finding others to watch their kids]. They might be fully employed, but it’s really taking a toll on their mental health to not have guaranteed childcare.
Along the Way provides a pathway to financial security for single parents by 1) providing safe & reliable child care on an income-based sliding scale during nights and weekends so that single parents can work and/or advance their own education/training without the financial burden of high-quality childcare, 2) utilizing a holistic care approach that meets parents where they are on the continuum of surviving to thriving, 3) providing good jobs for our employed caregivers, and 4) inviting employers to be a part of the solution through our Pathway Project. For employers, participation means stabilizing their own workforce during hard-to-fill shifts, and the parents that participate. It is really an Economic Independence Program.
