Rebound Idaho: Working parents share struggles of virtual learning while Strong Families, Strong Students guidelines are drawn

Rebound Idaho: Working parents share struggles of virtual learning while Strong Families, Strong Students guidelines are drawn

N an effort by Governor Brad Little to make parents less likely to leave the workforce while their children learn at home, a $50 million grant program announced Friday called Strong Families, Strong Students would provide parents up to $3,500 per family.

OUR TOP STORY ATTEN - THE LATEST ONTHE "STRONGFAMILIES... STRONGSTUDENTS" GRANTPROGRAM.AS WE TOLD YOU...THE GOVERNOR ISDIRECTING $50MILLION DOLLARS...TO HELP WORKINGPARENTS STAY INTHE WORKFORCE...WHILE THEIRCHILDREN LEARN ATHOMEFAMILIES WITHTHREE KIDS... COULDRECEIVE UP TO 35-HUNDRED DOLLARS.OUR NEWSROOM ISCOMMITTED TOKEEPING YOU ANDYOUR FAMILYINFORMEDTHROUGHOUT THECOVID-19 PANDEMIC...SO WE CAN ALLBOUNCE BACKTOGETHER.OUR MADELINEWHITE CONTINUESOUR REBOUND IDAHOCOVERAGE TONIGHT.SHE SPOKE WITHSOME WORKINGPARENTS... TO GETTHEIR REACTIONS."WHILE EACHPARENT'S SITUATIONIS A LITTLEDIFFERENT..

THECOMMONMESSAGING I HEARDACROSS THE BOARDIS THAT PARENTS,ESPECIALLYWORKING ONES,NEED SOME HELPRIGHT NOW.""I'M JUST INSURVIVAL MODE."HEIDI MYERS ANDHER HUSBAND HAVEFIVE KIDS..RANGING FROM AKINDERGARTENER TOA HIGH SCHOOLSOPHOMORE.

THEYALSO RUN AN AAIBOWL AND SMOOTHIEBUSINESS IN BOISE'SNORTH END.

WHICHOPENED JUST AHANDFUL OFMONTHS BEFORETHE PANDEMIC."THINGS WERE JUSTSTARTING TO LOOKREALLY BRIGHT, UMLIKE BEGINNING OFMARCH AND THEN ITWAS JUST NIGHT ANDDAY, AND JUSTBUSINESS SHUT OFF IMEAN PRETTY MUCH,YA KNOW MARCHWAS SCARY, BUT YAKNOW THINGS ARELOOKING UP FORSURE BUT THEAMOUNT OF STRESSIS DEFINITELYTAKING ITS TOLL ONME."SHE SAYS THERE AREOF COURSE SOMEDAYS WHEN SHE HASTO BE ON-SITEMANAGING THEBUSINESS..

BUTBEING AWAY WHILETHE KIDS ARE ATHOME - SHE SAYS ISREALLY HARD."OH MY GOODNESSTHE MOTHER GUILTIS TERRIBLE FOR ME,SO MUCH MOMMYGUILT THAT LIKE I'VEJUST CRIED LIKE SOMANY TEARSBECAUSE I FEEL LIKEA TERRIBLE MOM."SHE SAYS A NANNYWOULD HELP..

BUTCHILDCARE COSTS INIDAHO ARE TOO HIGH.AS I'VE REPORTED.AN ESTIMATE FORTHE BOISE AREA ONCARE DOT COMSHOWS FULL-TIMENANNIES CURRENTLYCOST SINGLE-CHILDFAMILIES ROUGHLY$15 AN HOUR.

THAT'S2400 DOLLARS PERMONTH.

ADD FOURKIDS TO THAT..

AND"HONESTLY,TRUTHFULLY, I CAN'TAFFORD A NANNY."STILL.

HEIDI SAYSTHE 35-00 DOLLARSSHE MIGHT BEELIGIBLE TO RECEIVENEXT MONTH WOULDHELP THEM."I MEAN SO LIKE IF IHIRED SOME HELPTHAT WOULD HELPME ON THOSE DAYSTHAT I NEED TO BEAT THE STORE, ITWOULD PROBABLYWOULD HELP.

ITDEFINITELY WOULDHELP."THE OTHER GOAL OFTHE STRONGFAMILIES STRONGSTUDENTS PROGRAMIS TO HELPSTUDENTS BESUCCESSFUL."IT'S A NICEGESTURE BUT IT'SNOT MEANINGFUL.WE ALREADY HAVETHE DEVICES FROMTHE SCHOOL."DAYNA ANDERSON.A WORKING MOTHEROF TWO WE SPOKETO.

SAYS STUDENTSUCCESS COMES ATA HIGHER COST WITHREMOTE LEARNING."ANYTHINGMEANINGFUL WOULDINVOLVE SOME SORTOF CHILD CARE ANDTUTORING FORFAMILIES WHO'VEDECIDED TO DOVIRTUAL, 3000 PERFAMILY DOESN'TEVEN CUT IT - THAT'SA DROP IN THEBUCKET."AND SHE AND HERHUSBAND HAVE DUALINCOME.

SO SHEWORRIES ABOUTOTHERS WHO MAYNOT BE ASPRIVILEGED."LIKE HOW MANYLOWER INCOMEFAMILIES ANDSTUDENTS ORSTUDENTS OF COLORARE COMPLETELYBEING LEFT BEHIND,SO, RIGHT, YOUSTART GOING DOWNTHAT HOLE, IT'SPRETTY SAD.""THE STATE BOARDOF EDUCATION WILLDRAW OUT THEGUIDELINES.

WHICHWILL PRIORITIZEDISADVANTAGEDFAMILIES.APPLICATIONS WILLOPEN IN OCTOBER.MADELINE WHITE.IDAHO NEWS 6."JU