As a single mother of a medically fragile child, it’s hard to find nurses for all shifts allotted to my daughter for care. Due to the pandemic I lost my job and I was granted the opportunity to become a paid caregiver for her, as many other parents also were offered this position. This is an unprecedented occasion considering the State of Kansas only allows parents as paid caregivers for children 18 years and older. However, this recent opportunity will come to an end soon. It’s unfortunate because, it has given families an avenue to make a living wage while caring for their child, and to keep them healthy without outside care personnel entering our homes. This also has eased the stress of trying to also work outside our homes to support our households. It’s sometimes impossible to find jobs that fit around a nursing schedule anyway. I’d like for the State of Kansas to offer parents the position of Paid Caregiver with a competitive wage which would alleviate hardships on parents and families in my position. This, in my opinion, would keep some families from having to rely on state assistance to make ends meet, plus the child would benefit from the care of their parent. This will help so many families.