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This action alert just popped into my inbox from MomsRising.com: Right now, more than 40,000 kindergarteners are home alone each day afterschool, with a total of more than 14,000,000 school-age kids on their own afterschool. Surprised? The reality is that most parents work now, and there are too few affordable and accessible afterschool ...

Hi, I'm a working mom living in Ravenswood and shortly relocating to Argentina (Feb 25th! coming soo soon...).  I'm trying to help my baby sitter find a good job, she has been wonderful to our family.   Her name is Silvia and I have wonderful references to give about her. She has been taking care of my now two-year old daughter ...

I’m working on a story about how child care in Cook County is often unattainable for lower- and middle-class families in Cook County. I know I’m supposed to observe the numbers from the proverbial journalistic arm’s length, but the more I read, the more my arm wants to wave a distress flag. The statistics come from a study by Illinois ...

I have recently moved back to Oak Park after living in many different places for many years.  I'm a licensed massage therapist and have just opened a new office in the Medical Arts Building in Oak Park.  You may have read or heard that infant massage is gaining momentum here in the U.S.  Ages old, this foundation of well-baby care ...

Help!  I've only lived in the Chicago area for a couple of years and just gave birth to my first child.  I am overwhelmed with the task of finding full time child care for my 6 week old before I return to work.  I've checked into quite a few daycare centers and although I was impressed, the cost made more of an impression!  I'm ...

A recent 'discussion' over homelessness on this site* has gripped me like a tick. It won't let go. Not that I'm not reminded of homelessness every day when I pass the McDonald's on Ashland & Fullerton (?) or after work at the expressway ramp. But the homeless population I never see are the families and there's a good reason for that. ...

The dreaded ''Mommy Wars'' usually pits working moms against stay at home moms. It took the genius of Sylvia Ann Hewitt and Linda Hirshman to top it off with a dollop of guilt. Hewitt began the baby panic with her 2002 book castigating us career gals with not having babies before we hit our ancient 30s. My all time favorite response was from ...