John,

While mainstream media has largely focused on the essential workers who are working on the frontlines of the pandemic, today we want to recognize the impact this crisis has had on the children of those essential workers.

Children of essential workers deal with the stress of not being able to see their parents — sometimes for days at a time — while also knowing that their parents are taking life-threatening risks every time they go to work. Some children have had to move in with other relatives because their parents are scared that they will infect their own family.

These children need our support, John. We want to remind them that they are seen, loved, and supported, even when they feel the most alone. That’s why we want to find and share the stories of essential and frontline workers’ children as part of a new initiative of Women’s March Youth Empower.

If you’re on the frontlines, will you share your family’s #ChildrenoftheFrontline story with us so we can share your experiences on social media? We’re looking for submissions from those 13 and above.

Children are taught to share from a young age. Their toys. Their siblings. Their snacks. Now, many of them are asked to share much more. Their parents are frontline workers, selflessly leaving the house everyday to make sure our communities keep running.

Aurora Ozanick, the 5-year-old daughter of a nurse and a construction worker in Pittsburgh, makes sense of her parents’ jobs this way: “Mommy fixes people, Daddy fixes things.”

These days, Bobbi Ozanick — “Mommy” — works at the hospital. Her husband, who was laid off when his job site was shut down, stays home with Aurora. Ms. Ozanick told her husband that if things got worse, he and Aurora should go stay at a relative’s house.

“The concept of it was one of the weirdest conversations we’ve ever had,” Ms. Ozanick said.¹ It’s a difficult, new reality that the Ozanicks — and millions of others — now face.

We want to shed light on these experiences and collect your stories. Children of essential workers deserve to be heard. Will you share with us your #ChildrenoftheFrontline story?

We’ll be sharing some of your responses on social media so we can amplify the voices of children of the frontlines.

We hope to hear your family’s story,

Women’s March

1 - New York Times