Losing the life you thought you would have changes everything. For a stay-at-home parent who is widowed, starting over can mean facing grief while also trying to rebuild stability, care for a family, and navigate an uncertain future.

When my husband Matt died in August of 2025, the reality set in that the choice I had made to stay home with my children was now going to be the riskiest decision I ever made. As a 38-year-old widow I have been out of the workforce for over a decade, building a home with my husband who was our main breadwinner. Starting over means taking lower paying jobs or going back to school to hopefully jump start a new career for myself while still handling the bills and needs of three young children.

Many stay at home parents who lose their breadwinning spouse can face homelessness and financial hardship in the months and years following one of the most traumatic experiences of their lives!

Going back to school can be the path to a stable career and a secure future for our kids. But for a parent who just lost the family's income, tuition can put that path out of reach. Our country already helps pay for school for the spouses of service members who die. Every widowed parent raising children deserves that same chance to rebuild.

I am asking Congress to create a federal education grant that covers college and job training costs for widowed parents with children at home, modeled on the benefits we already give military survivors. No one should have to choose between going back to school and keeping a roof over their kids' heads after losing their partner. Sign this petition to give widowed parents a real pathway back to independence with dignity.