 Rachel
- Conference organizer works three
days a week nine months of the year, sharing care of pre-school
aged daughter with a local childcare center and the support of friends.
Family Story:
Before adopting her baby daughter Alice,
Rachel worked as a nurse. During the adoption process she decided
to take an extended maternity leave so that she could meet her daughter
in China and then have time for them both to adjust to their new
situation once they arrived back in the U.S.
By planning in advance Rachel was able to arrange a four-month maternity
leave. When she returned to her job she found that she could work
20-30 hours a week and still support herself and her daughter. However,
Rachel became increasingly aware that Alice needed more individualized
attention than Rachel could provide.
As a single parent, her understanding of
the importance of extended family and a close community grew. After
much consideration Rachel moved one-year-old Alice and herself from
Texas to Philadelphia so that they could share a home with close
friends. This move provided a number of significant benefits. First,
Rachel now has the extra support of living with other adults. They
help each other with childcare and often sort out parenting questions
together. Second, her daughter has a close, sibling-like relationship
with the other family's child. Third, living communally saves on
expenses.
After moving, Rachel found a flexible job
as a conference organizer. Nine months of the year she works the
equivalent of three days a week. Three months of the year, during
conference season, she works full time. When she is working she
uses outside childcare. For Rachel, the short-term financial sacrifices
that she has made to spend significant time with her daughter are
far outweighed by the long-term benefits of being deeply involved
in her daughter’s life.
Adapting to the Changing Needs of Family
After an extended four-month maternity leave,
Rachel decided to reduce her work schedule in order to spend more
time with her daughter. For additional support in parenting, she moved
from Texas to Philadelphia to live with close friends.
Redesigning Work
Rachel went from full-time work to steady
part-time work with a flexible schedule. For nine months of the
year she works the equivalent of three days a week. She works full
time the other three months of the year.
To read about other Shared Care families'
stories, click here.
To learn more about other
types of work family models, click
here.
To learn more about Shared Care,
click here.
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