Alexis is a mother of two in Jackson, Miss., and the recipient of one year of guaranteed income from the Magnolia Mother’s Trust. A longtime caregiver for her children and late grandfather, she is pursuing a career as a physical therapist aide and advocates for policies that better support working mothers and families.
“… I have been caring for different members of my family for years. … I was a caregiver for my grandfather until he passed away. … He took care of me my whole life, and I was able to do that for him.
“… I was a staffing specialist working through a state contract. I had no benefits, no retirement. [And] my job started having a problem with me bringing [my children].
“When I had my son in 2015 … I was an assistant manager at a fast-food restaurant making $10 an hour … I did not receive paid parental leave. They told me I could bring the baby to work.
“I am thankful for my son’s godmother. But he spent so much time with her that he was getting unfamiliar with me. I was trying to work and make sure he did not go without milk or my other son did not go without what he needed. But I also needed to be with my baby. I had to choose: Was I going to work, or was I going to be home with my baby with no money?
“Paid parental leave would have let me stay home longer and bond more with my son.
“Paid family leave would have helped when I was caring for my grandfather, too. An employer even questioned whether he was really sick.”