Today I was nearly arrested. 

It's sort of actually almost true - I mean, my heart was racing, my face was red, I was shaky and shamed and I was a little sweaty and faint, which is what I imagine I'd feel if I actually did get arrested - which I never have been - which is actually really really true all the way. 

When I started thinking about having to go back to work, one of the biggest issues was childcare.  I don't live where a school bus serves my youngest's school so I have to carpool her to and from everyday.  This limits the hours that I am available to work.  Throw in a baby whose daycare is 20 minutes out of the way, and my available hours are even that much more limited.  It wasn't easy at all to "just figure it out when we need to" and I felt like I was walking around with my arms outstretched and my hands open waiting for people to rescue me and my kids from this childcare pit of despair.  While I am excruciatingly thankful to those who did step in and drive my kids around, feed them dinner, and take them places, it was almost a full time job just securing a sitter on a regular basis.

When I ask my clients in my classes how much childcare is, the response is staggering.  $400 or more, per week, for infants up to 15 months old is standard in the central MA area.  More is common, and less is rare.  Family Childcare, or a "Home Daycare" is half that, but still gag inducing at $200 a week.  I'm not going to get into a debate about home daycare vs center based care, but I do want to know this: What Happened To Us?

When I realized how expensive child care is, I thought that since I was home in the mornings anyway for my kiddo, I could offer some before school care to any of the neighborhood kids who would typically walk to the elementary school with the other throngs of children every day.  I had one phone call and was questioned in detail about my rates (i dunno, what does the school based program charge? do they serve breakfast? when do they open?) my contract (i dunno, if your kid is here, you can pay me. If your kid isn't here, you don't have to. Any questions?) my deposit (huh? well, bottles are .05 cents so... um...) the amount of other kids I cared for (hmm, do I count my husband or not? does my 10 year old count? she dresses herself...) and then today I got "the call".  The Official "We" had been notified about my "business" and I was informed that I was providing "Illegal Unliscensed Family Childcare Services" and that I should cease and desist.  See? Almost Arrested!!! 


I wasn't just scared, I was angry.  What ever happened to Community? To "Us"?  Why can't I watch my neighbors kids, my friends kids, a person in need at my church, without having to be a liscenced entity?  I read up on the state regulations and actually I don't think I HAVE to be liscenced if I am an informal cooperative care thingamajig.  That's what I had intended - and though the money would've helped, and gone towards groceries or soccer or Karate, I certainly wasn't out to make a living at childcare and to offer a curriculum and a schedule and a sick policy - I just wanted to say, Hey, Here is My Free Time, Can You Use It?  I guess that's illegal now.

I had a conversation recently with another mom about how sad it was that we had to pay so much money for USED clothes at a consignment shop, and that we couldn't even sell back our clothes to the shop but had to 'consign' them and hope for the best.  It really was a much better feeling and so much more worth it to just give things to someone.  Who has time for all that consignment hassle?  I even tried out ebay - thinking I could recoup a little cost on some of my kids' quality stuff.  Nah, that bombed too.  I paid money to advertise stuff that didn't sell.  Thats fair, no?  And though the post office was kind enough to hand deliver free boxes for shipping, I still had to pay for and print out my own labels, tape up the boxes with packing tape, and then arrange for delivery.  I put close to 5 hours of time into getting a few things 'listed'... and I was charged for it.  mmm. Yep.

So my church is doing it different.  We are a community.  A community of servers and givers and helpers.  A community of illegals I guess.  We have a site to join so you can 'help' or 'serve' whenever someone is in need.  We list local financial resources and announce needs and also the awesomeness of seeing needs fulfilled.  Now we are going to list the stuff we have, the stuff we want to give away, the stuff we have that God blessed us with that we no longer need and want to bless someone else with.  We will give away to charity whatever our own members don't want/can't use, but in the meantime, we will share with each other. 

Her son will sit in my daughters stroller.  That girl gave my daughter a raincoat.  That lady helped me get a crib for my child... AND so her child would have a place to sleep at my house.  She cooked a meal for them, and they cooked a meal for those people, and those people cared for someone elses yard, and the yard-owner babysat for the neighbor who was letting her friends child sleep in her childs crib. Here is where "us" is - in Holden, at FC.  If you need "us", we are there, waiting for you.  Just like God - right there in front of you and happy to see you.

Is your "us" up and running?  Move it, shake it, keep it live.  Make "us" a reality.