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Finding a job is difficult work, and making the process even tougher for some recently laid-off federal workers is finding someone to watch their kids so they can focus on recrafting their resume or going to an interview.
Nicole Smith, the owner of Nicole’s Fun and Learning Family Childcare LLC, a small day care in Columbia, Maryland, is trying to help by offering free drop-in child care for impacted federal workers.
“I know if I was in their shoes, it would be hard for me,” Smith told WTOP.
She’s offering federal workers the ability to drop off their child for an hour or two for free.
“Maybe they need time to decompress, maybe they’re job hunting or just trying to navigate these changes,” Smith said.
Smith said she is trying to help because she was once a single mom herself.
While she can only watch a few extra children each day, she hopes that sharing what she’s doing could encourage other child care providers, especially those with more capacity, to offer similar help.
“I pray other providers take lead and say, ‘Maybe we should help,’” Smith said. “It’s a blessing to help someone. That’s all I can say.”
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