Jenny’s Story: Full-Time Caregiver, Full-Time Mom

“My work is taking care of my kids,” Jenny told Feed the Children, when we met her at her home in Kentucky. “There’s a lot of therapy appointments, doctor’s appointments that I have to do too. Laundry and cleaning. It’s a never-ending job.”

Both of Jenny’s children are on the autism spectrum. Her daughter, Janie, does well with a few accommodations in school; however, her son Eli is nonverbal and has high support needs. Eli relies on Jenny as his primary caregiver.

For a short time, Jenny tried to balance working with the demands of parenting a child with special needs. However, it quickly became clear that caring for Eli left no room for employment. Even part-time work was impossible, since there was no way to schedule shifts around Eli’s potential meltdowns and illnesses.

“A lot of people won’t hire me because I need a lot of time off,” Jenny admits. “As I said, there’s therapy, and doctors’ appointments.”

While Jenny takes care of the kids, her husband works full-time. Several years ago, he lost his job and went unemployed for a short time. It was a period of intense stress for the family:

“We did have to cut back on food,” Jenny says. “We had to watch what we eat, and cut back. My son did act up. He could feel our tension.”

Thankfully, her husband was quickly able to find a new job. His salary is enough to keep the family afloat, but it isn’t easy. Eli’s medication is expensive and isn’t completely covered by insurance. Two growing kids need clothes, shoes, products for self-care, food – and even those essentials have been pared down as much as possible. Jenny’s kids have been teased at school for their old and second-hand clothing. As a family, they miss out on fun experiences. A weekend visit to the zoo or movie theater takes months of budgeting in order to happen.

And so, Jenny’s work continues. What needs to get done, gets done. Jenny is strategic, prioritizing which bills need to be paid now and which can wait; finding ways to stretch and save the budget.

Across the United States, thousands of families like Jenny’s are facing food insecurity: hardworking parents who want the best for their kids, often experiencing additional challenges.

Your support has provided Jenny a lifeline during times her family has needed it most. When emergencies strike – like a destroyed roof, or insurance failing to cover Eli’s medication – Feed the Children’s community partner in their area has helped Jenny make sure that she can still do her most important job: making sure her kids can grow and thrive.