MMD BLOG


CATEGORY:

CHILDCARE + WORKING MOMS

OOPS, WE DID IT AGAIN. CHILDCARE SHORTAGES ARE BACK.

 Modern Mommy Doc


PUBLICATION DATE:

January 9, 2023

OOPS, WE DID IT AGAIN. CHILDCARE SHORTAGES ARE BACK.

 Modern Mommy Doc

CATEGORY: CHILDCARE + WORKING MOMS

We’ve got a childcare crisis happening here in the United States.


And no, you’re not reading an article from 2020. It’s happening again. Well, I should say, it’s STILL happening. It’s just made worse by another round of illness hitting our kids, which, in turn, hits our whole household.


2020 was an outlier based on every statistic imaginable. If you were comparing trends for just about anything, you’d have to throw out 2020 because nothing made sense then. Everything was new for everyone and parents were having to navigate things they never even dreamed of. 


Childcare was not only impossible to find, but if you found it, it was astronomically priced. So more and more parents were having to take time off work in order to take care of their sick kids or stay at home and educate them. 


I was really hoping all of that was behind us.


Yet, in October of 2022, we hit
even higher record numbers of parents missing work due to issues with childcare–numbers that reached higher than the peak of the pandemic! 100,000 parents were unable to come to work because they couldn't find anyone to help watch their kids. The difference between now and then is that we’re in the middle of a recession and things are even more strained financially for most families. So time off of work is a really big deal.


I have heard from countless women that are dealing with this.


So, as busy working moms, what can we do to make this
slightly easier on ourselves?


I think the name of the game is being proactive. We can’t wait till our kid comes home with a cough and a runny nose before we take action. Here’s 3 places ways I think you can start getting things lined up for yourself TODAY:


DON’T FORGET YOUR VILLAGE

We did it in 2020 and I know we’ll do it in 2022. Families banded together to make things work. How can you think outside of the people in your home? Start having those conversations now so that you have a list ready to go that you can work through when illness hits. Here’s just a few ideas:


  • Extended family that lives in the area
  • Your datenight babysitter list (and your friend’s list as well!)
  • Retired couples in your neighborhood
  • Homeschooling families that might have more flex in their day
  • Families from your kids extracurricular activities
  • Other school families
  • Families from church


Those last 3 are great to swap with…especially if their kids are home sick too! Not that you really want to be taking care of MORE sick kids, but we know that phase of sick that kids get to that’s “too sick for school because no one wants to hear hacking all day, but definitely not sick enough to lay down and watch movies.” If kids from the same class caught the same cold, might as well band together so moms can get some work done.


But don’t forget that this is a swap–you’ve got to make the offer to watch their kids as well.


USE TECHNOLOGY TO DELEGATE

Apps need to be your best friend when you’re overwhelmed and there’s a lot that can help you now, even if you don’t have a sick kiddo at home while you’re trying to conference in to work. While these apps won’t actually watch your kids for you, they’ll make all the other stuff you have to get done a little bit easier.


Here’s just a few:

  • Yohana: this is like having specialized assistants in every area of your life. They check things off your to-do list so you don’t have to. 
  • Maple: this app helps you to spread out the responsibility in your home to everyone so that mom doesn’t end up doing everything
  • Grocery delivery: enough said

TALK TO YOUR BOSS

I can’t stress this enough: if you wait until your kid is sick to have this conversation with your boss, you’ve waited too long. Having an open dialogue with them even from the time you get hired will set up such a better culture when the day comes that you can’t come in.


If you haven’t made them aware of needs you might have, no one else is going to do it for you. You can let them know backup childcare options you have in place, but that there might come a time when you will have to work from home. Ask them if there are any systems set up for virtual work or if you could help develop them. You might even find that your boss has some ideas or resources when it comes to childcare.


Don’t wait on this one, mama. We’re all only one kid’s sneeze away from the whole family getting taken down. And actions you take now can make that whole process so much easier on you!


Raising Body-Confident Kids Starts at the Doctor's Office!

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About the Episode: In this episode, Dr. Whitney sits down with Dr. Jay Gargus and Dave Justus from NeuroQure to discuss the power of early clarity when it comes to autism detection and why earlier intervention can fundamentally change outcomes for childre n and families. Dr. Gargus explains the science behind early behavioral therapies and why their impact goes far beyond short-term skill-building. Research shows that early, evidence-based interventions can lead to measurable, lifelong improvements in IQ, so cial skills, independence, and educational placement, often determining whether a child can thrive in mainstream education or requires ongoing specialized support. The conversation also tackles a critical and often overlooked issue: access. Dave Justus shares the personal motivation behind NeuroQure’s work and explains why the test is being launched at cost, with installment plans and employer subsidies, while the team works toward insurance coverage. The goal is to prevent families from losing precious years waiting for answers. Together, they emphasize a hopeful message for parents: families don’t need to wait for a future “silver bullet.” We already have therapies that work and getting kids connected to them earlier can change the course of a lifetime. In this episode, we discuss: Why early autism detection leads to lifelong changes—not just short-term gains What a 17-point IQ difference actually means for education, independence, and quality of life How early intervention can shift developmental trajectories as early as 6 months The science and validation behind current autism therapies Why NeuroQure is pricing testing at cost while pursuing insurance coverage How early clarity can reduce long-term strain on families, schools, and healthcare systems This episode is a powerful reminder that timing matters and that early access to answers can make an extraordinary difference for children and the families who love them. About Our Guest: Dr. Jay Gargus, MD, PhD is a physician-scientist and nationally recognized expert in neurodevelopmental disorders, with decades of experience researching the biological underpinnings of autism. His work has focused on translating well-established science into meaningful, real-world interventions that can improve lifelong outcomes for children. Dr. Gargus emphasizes that early, evidence-based therapies are already available—and that connecting families to them sooner can fundamentally change developmental trajectories. Dave Justus is a parent and the founder of NeuroQure, whose work is driven by personal experience navigating delayed autism diagnosis and intervention. Motivated by the belief that early clarity can spare families years of uncertainty, Dave is focused on expanding access to early testing through cost-based pricing and ongoing efforts to secure insurance coverage. His mission is simple but powerful: ensure families don’t have to wait for answers that could change everything. Want to Start Raising Body-Confident Kids Today? 📘 Order the Book Order your copy of My One-of-a-Kind Body 👉 www.raisingbodyconfidentkids.com/books 🎁 Claim Your Free Bonus When you order on our site, you’ll also get access to a FREE video mini-course with five bite-sized lessons for parents. In just 25 minutes, you’ll walk away with: Simple, script-style ways to respond when your kid says, “I hate my thighs” How to talk about health without weight talk What to do when your own inner critic shows up How to interrupt diet culture at home The first step to raising a body-confident kid, even if you didn’t grow up as one 📩 Subscribe to The Modern Mommy Doc Podcast for more episodes on parenting with confidence and clarity. Leave a review using the hashtag #ModernMommyDoc.
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By Dr. Whitney December 17, 2025
About the Episode: In this episode, Dr. Whitney sits down with Dr. Jay Gargus and Dave Justus from NeuroQure to discuss the power of early clarity when it comes to autism detection and why earlier intervention can fundamentally change outcomes for childre n and families. Dr. Gargus explains the science behind early behavioral therapies and why their impact goes far beyond short-term skill-building. Research shows that early, evidence-based interventions can lead to measurable, lifelong improvements in IQ, so cial skills, independence, and educational placement, often determining whether a child can thrive in mainstream education or requires ongoing specialized support. The conversation also tackles a critical and often overlooked issue: access. Dave Justus shares the personal motivation behind NeuroQure’s work and explains why the test is being launched at cost, with installment plans and employer subsidies, while the team works toward insurance coverage. The goal is to prevent families from losing precious years waiting for answers. Together, they emphasize a hopeful message for parents: families don’t need to wait for a future “silver bullet.” We already have therapies that work and getting kids connected to them earlier can change the course of a lifetime. In this episode, we discuss: Why early autism detection leads to lifelong changes—not just short-term gains What a 17-point IQ difference actually means for education, independence, and quality of life How early intervention can shift developmental trajectories as early as 6 months The science and validation behind current autism therapies Why NeuroQure is pricing testing at cost while pursuing insurance coverage How early clarity can reduce long-term strain on families, schools, and healthcare systems This episode is a powerful reminder that timing matters and that early access to answers can make an extraordinary difference for children and the families who love them. About Our Guest: Dr. Jay Gargus, MD, PhD is a physician-scientist and nationally recognized expert in neurodevelopmental disorders, with decades of experience researching the biological underpinnings of autism. His work has focused on translating well-established science into meaningful, real-world interventions that can improve lifelong outcomes for children. Dr. Gargus emphasizes that early, evidence-based therapies are already available—and that connecting families to them sooner can fundamentally change developmental trajectories. Dave Justus is a parent and the founder of NeuroQure, whose work is driven by personal experience navigating delayed autism diagnosis and intervention. Motivated by the belief that early clarity can spare families years of uncertainty, Dave is focused on expanding access to early testing through cost-based pricing and ongoing efforts to secure insurance coverage. His mission is simple but powerful: ensure families don’t have to wait for answers that could change everything. Want to Start Raising Body-Confident Kids Today? 📘 Order the Book Order your copy of My One-of-a-Kind Body 👉 www.raisingbodyconfidentkids.com/books 🎁 Claim Your Free Bonus When you order on our site, you’ll also get access to a FREE video mini-course with five bite-sized lessons for parents. In just 25 minutes, you’ll walk away with: Simple, script-style ways to respond when your kid says, “I hate my thighs” How to talk about health without weight talk What to do when your own inner critic shows up How to interrupt diet culture at home The first step to raising a body-confident kid, even if you didn’t grow up as one 📩 Subscribe to The Modern Mommy Doc Podcast for more episodes on parenting with confidence and clarity. Leave a review using the hashtag #ModernMommyDoc.
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