By Zoila Carolina Toma, Child care provider, SEIU Local 99, Signal Hill, CA
Nothing about this pandemic has been easy on me, my family or my work.
I’ve managed my daycare in the Los Angeles area for a decade now. It’s always been tough to make ends meet, but the pandemic has made it even tougher. I grew up in El Salvador so I know how to survive, but with the dire straits of COVID-19, a failed economy and a President with no plan, it’s almost impossible to make it day-to-day.
A lot of workers, like me, are surviving thanks to our communities. But it’s not the responsibility of my clients, neighbors and union family to piece something together; elected leaders should have a plan for how to protect us all. We need to make sure all workers, no matter if they have a social security number or not, have access to healthcare and COVID testing.
The government needs to make sure COVID information and resources are distributed in Spanish and other languages. I’m thankful for the supportive community I have, but it’s time for the government to step up.
As a child care provider and essential worker, I believe it’s critical that we have strong leadership in the White House who supports everyday workers. It's time to demand what we deserve, what our families deserve, what the people in America deserve.
I am a green card holder, so I cannot vote. My husband, who witnessed all the struggles and the challenges that I have faced as a Childcare provider, is planning to vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, hoping they will advocate for us and champion our cause. I encourage other providers to do the same, as I can see clearly that the current administration is not interested in supporting essential workers like us.
