It’s that time of year again, John.
School is back in session and parents in St. Louis and across the country are sending their kids back to class. But it’s clear that this time around, going back to school is a heavy feeling for so many families.
My heart goes out to every parent who’s worried about keeping their children safe and healthy. To every parent who lost their job in the COVID-19 recession and is struggling to make ends meet for their family, and anyone else anxious about the future right now as COVID and vaccine misinformation continues to rise.
This pandemic has laid bare the challenges so many parents have been facing for years in our country, and it’s clearer than ever that the systems we currently have are failing our families.
I know because my family has experienced and survived these challenges.
I was a single parent raising two children. I was forced to live in a car with my two babies. I used McDonald’s bathrooms to mix baby formula and wash my body because I had no other options. This never ending instability, combined with the constant fear of interacting with the police, losing custody of my children, having my car impounded — or even losing my life — left me stressed, traumatized, and exhausted.
I don't want anybody to have to experience that suffering that I was forced to endure. I don't want anybody else to have to live out of their vehicle with their babies. And I don’t want anybody to feel the panic and anxiety that I felt to make sure my children were safe and healthy. But the reality is that COVID has put so many families in desperate situations.
That’s why I’m not resting until Congress does their job and passes the policies we need to make sure our families are housed, fed, protected, and supported — especially in this worsening pandemic. Every day I go to work, I make sure to bring my lived experience to the House floor and advocate for change so no other family has to go through what we did.
Thank you for all of your support.
Your Congresswoman loves you,
Cori