ORLANDO, Fla. — As schools throughout the country shut their doors for the summer, anxiety sparks for Latino parents like Angela Ramirez de Leon who cannot afford childcare during the long break.
Roughly 16% of Latino children ages 5 and under in the United States lived with a family member who either had to quit or change their job due to childcare issues in 2021, the Annie E. Casey’s Foundation 2023 Kids Count Data Book reports.
According to Winnie.com, an online childcare marketplace, the average cost of childcare in Orlando, FL, is approximately $700 a month per student.
A mother of nine, three adults and six elementary-aged children she adopted after a contentious court battle deemed de Leon was the only responsible caregiver for her nephew and nieces. She struggles to balance a daily life between work and having to take care of her large family.
De Leon says her youngest six would have all ended up in the foster care system and would have most likely faced being separated from one another if she had denied adopting them.
The New York native who’s lived in Florida for several years now, is grateful to be their caregiver but struggles with the daily challenges a large family with special needs brings. Not being able to work only makes things more complicated, de Leon believes.
Roughly 16% of Latino children ages 5 and under in the United States lived with a family member who either had to quit or change their job due to childcare issues in 2021, the Annie E. Casey’s Foundation 2023 Kids Count Data Book reports.
“Childcare, I can’t say enough is more than liquid gold, more than diamonds, more than platinum,” says de Leon, who is currently struggling to find employment and take care of her family simultaneously. “I cannot put a price on it.”
According to Winnie.com, an online childcare marketplace, the average cost of childcare in Orlando, FL, is approximately $700 a month per student. Such a price tag would put de Leon in several “hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt,” as her six youngest all require special care.
Throughout the academic year, Latino parents like de Leon depend on schools to educate and provide care for their children. But when summer rises, de Leon and other parents who depend heavily on schools to provide care and nutrition for their family must then budget in more meals and care that schools cannot help with during the break.
According to the latest meal prices for Orange County Public Schools, the average cost of lunch and breakfast for elementary-aged students is roughly $585 dollars per academic school year, or $3,500 dollars for de Leon’s family.
De Leon says she’s grateful she doesn’t have to worry about such cost when school is in session but struggles on how to budget in meals and medication with limited resources when her children are out of school. The final price tag of adequate care is in the “hundreds of thousands,” de Leon told Spectrum News.
“I get overwhelmed,” she said.. “But when you live it and go through it every day, you’re just on autopilot.”
The self-taught crocheter donated over 3,000 masks during the pandemic and is always looking for ways to help others.
De Leon, who’s now blind in her left eye due to stress, tries her best to not think about the many challenges that come up her way. Her youngest, Jaxson, will soon undergo experimental gene therapy. Children with his condition have a life expectancy of about 25 years.
While the experimental treatment gives her hope that her youngest can live a better life, it also worries her, as she will have to isolate with Jaxson and find someone to take care of the rest of her family while he undergoes the treatment.
She overcomes her daily battles alone and leans on her faith to keep her going through the several challenges she faces daily. “You find your why of how and why you are doing this each and every day. If you are a person of faith, you just lean on your faith,” de Leon said.
Still optimistic of a better future where childcare is affordable, she encourages parents to help each other out and to never give up on making childcare accessible for all.
“Those of who are out there and don’t have the luxury of childcare, whether it’s for work of just basic needs, keep fighting,” de Leon said.