There’s a waitlist for daycare, and I don’t get paid maternity leave. How do I get back to work?

Dear Grace,

So I just had a baby, and she’s 1 month old. I don’t get paid maternity leave, so I’ve been on unpaid leave while I heal from labor. I need to get back to work to pay my bills and keep my job, but there’s a wait time on day care. What do I do? My husband didn’t get any time off and works on the road a lot.

Once she gets off the daycare wait list, we could probably pay for one month with our savings, but after that, we would need to put it on a credit card or get a loan till I can catch up from taking 1 month off.

I love my baby girl, I want her to be taken care of. Not working for 1 month has me stressed out and not knowing when I can go back is making it worse. I’m barely sleeping and have lots of hormones so that probably doesn’t help, lol.

What do I do? How do I support her?

– Brand New Mom in the Burbs

Dear Brand New Mom,

You are not alone in this—and what you’re going through is genuinely not fair. You just had a baby, your body is still healing, and instead of getting to rest and bond with your daughter, you’re lying awake at night doing math and worrying about your job. That is not how it should be. The United States is one of the only wealthy countries in the world without guaranteed paid maternity leave, which means loving mothers like you are forced to face impossible choices that women in most other countries never have to face. You didn’t create this problem. You’re just stuck living it. And you deserve so much better.

Our country also struggles with having enough affordable childcare options. I recently heard about someone who had to put their child on a waitlist for daycare before they were even born. And even then, they aren’t sure they will be guaranteed a spot! I was shocked. You’re not alone in finding yourself in this pickle. Many women across the country assume that their local daycare center will be able to take their baby, until they find out the waitlist is a mile long and the price is sky high. I’m sorry that, along with sleep deprivation and post-partum healing, you’re also dealing with this mess.

Here are three things that may help:

Find out if your state has paid leave—you might be surprised.

It’s just plain unfair that the United States doesn’t have paid maternity leave. But fortunately, some states do! Before you scramble to get back to work before you are ready, check whether your state has a paid family leave program. As of 2026, 14 states have passed paid leave laws, and more are on the way. These programs can provide full or partial pay while you recover from childbirth and care for a newborn (visit this link to see if your state is one of them). Even if your employer didn’t mention it, you may still be eligible. It’s worth a five-minute search that could change everything.

Talk to your coparent about who you both can lean on.

You said your husband works on the road a lot, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a supportive Dad. Figuring out a childcare plan is going to require time, energy, and creativity from both of you. Get him on the phone to help you strategize. This isn’t yours to carry alone. Make sure to talk about:

• Who in your life can help you right now with early post-partum tasks like laundry, cooking, cleaning, and researching childcare options in your area? Could be a neighbor, a coworker, a sister, or a grandparent.
• Who has time to do paperwork on behalf of the family to get the resources you need?  
• Who in your life might be able to help watch your daughter long-term? Can you and your husband trade off picking her up from daycare? Do you have a family member who could take her once a week to cut down the cost of daycare?

Get creative and explore every resource available to you.

Your local daycare center put you on a waitlist, so it’s time to look into other resources and options. Check out these ideas and see what could work for you and your family:

• Visit Childcare.gov, a free government website where you can search your state’s childcare vouchers, subsidies, and assistance programs for working families. 
• Early Head Start is another option: it’s a federally funded program that serves babies from birth, at little or no cost to families who qualify. 
• If you haven’t already, double-check with your employer. Some companies offer childcare benefits or hardship funds that employees never think to ask about. A quick call to HR could open a door.
• Local Facebook groups or online communities for new moms in your area can also point you toward trusted home daycares with open spots, or a mom who’d be open to a childcare swap. Sharing a nanny with a few other moms might be more affordable than waiting to go back to work (if that’s what you want). 

Don’t be afraid to ask for help from people in your community, call local child care facilities until they pick up, or be brave about applying for government resources. Even if the conversations are uncomfortable and the paperwork is exhausting, I know you would do anything to ensure your daughter gets the care she deserves. 

You just had a baby a month ago, Brand New Mom. I can’t even believe that you were able to write in, with that fresh of a baby-brain! You are healing, sleep-deprived, and running on love and adrenaline. I’m so sorry that you have to worry about money and daycare waitlists instead of focusing on healing and bonding with your daughter. This season is hard, but with some support from your husband, some creativity, and a little research into resources and options in your area, I hope that you’ll find relief. It won’t always be this hard. Keep asking for help until you find it.

With love and hope,

Grace