Following a passion along a different path

Changing careers doesn’t always mean giving up on your passion. It can mean finding a different path to pursue that passion. Consider the experience of Rosa Escalera.

When Rosa Escalera gave up her in-home childcare business after 13 years, she still wanted to stay involved in caring for children. Especially considering the overwhelming need she saw in her Central Washington community.

“The childcare need is huge, especially in this area. And providers play an important role,” says Escalera. “We have a lot of migrant families. Some don’t have stable homes. Childcare is their stability.”

Having come from a migrant family, Escalera has seen that need firsthand. Her parents worked in the fields and they didn’t always have access to childcare.  

“I remember being four or five and sleeping in an apple bin with my siblings while my parents worked,’ recalls Escalera. “So to me, it was very important to provide that security for our children, that safety net, while they're still learning.”

Escalera now works with the Early Achievers Program at Catholic Charities Serving Central Washington. She coaches childcare providers on improving their childcare programs and helping them reach and maintain a high quality learning environment. 

“We provide resources for anything from addressing behavioral needs, to enhancing their environment and providing quality learning material for different ages. We provide resources for interactions. You know, how to speak to a child, how to teach a child verbally. A two-year-old, for example, is not reading and writing, but they begin learning as an infant. We teach childcare providers how to interact with that child to help them learn and grow.”

At some point, every family faces the decision of whether to have a parent stay home with their children or go to work. It’s a complex and emotionally-draining internal debate. Most low- to middle-income families cannot afford to forgo dual incomes, despite the fact that up to half of that second income may go directly into childcare expenses. Care.com estimates the average cost of childcare in 2020 was $340 per week—per child! That is equivalent to $8.50/hour. Even with a $15/hour job, a parent may take home less than their childcare provider earns. However, that remaining $7.50 per hour still pays for milk, cereal, diapers, and more.

Once parents make the decision to seek childcare, there’s the challenge of finding a childcare provider. A Washington State Department of Commerce 2020 assessment of the state’s Child Care Industry found that while 736,880 children needed childcare, the formal supply of licensed childcare spaces in the state was only 187,535. That is a deficit of 549, 345 children, ages 0-12, in need of childcare. Without the availability of licensed childcare, parents often rely on a network of family and friends. While this is a viable alternative for some, these informal care relationships may not offer parents the same level of age-appropriate care or the ability to qualify for benefits one might gain with licensed childcare providers.

“They're there with the children, teaching them, caring for them, providing that comfort and security for parents while they are at work. It can be hard for them to find time to research and find all the resources they need to provide the best care possible for children,” explains Escalera. “We can help them find resources and improve the quality of care they are able to provide.”

While Escalera enjoyed working directly with the children, she also knows that going back to school and joining Catholic Charities has allowed her to make a greater impact in the lives of children and parents. It’s a different path but it still allowed her to follow her same passion.

“I also love that I can provide resources and know those resources may help a child or a family receive services they need in the moment and that may have a lifelong impact on their lives,” finishes Escalera.

If you’re interested in finding different paths to pursue your passion, learn more about possibilities at Catholic Charities by visiting workforhope.org.