The struggle to get your children enrolled in a daycare is a real big driver in the strain on the workforce. Lakeshore Community Action Program Director Colleen Homb says that finding childcare before the pandemic was tough especially in Sturgeon Bay, and it’s now nearly impossible. Over 3,000,000 women left the workforce when the pandemic came and many have yet to return. Homb says she doesn’t want you to think that women are opting to collect unemployment because they don’t want to work, but many have not been able to find open daycare slots for their children to be taken care of. Some daycares in Wisconsin are yet to reach full capacity, as their limit can fluctuate or they remain at risk of temporary shutdowns in the event of a positive COVID-19 case in the building. Homb describes how the childcare shortage can come full circle. 

Homb adds that you do not need to feel like a burden for asking for financial support if you are unable to return to work currently.