Like all mothers after their first child is born, LaNessa found herself overwhelmed with the new responsibilities and pressures in the first few weeks postpartum. As a single mother, she tried to figure out how to balance motherhood, her income and her education; she feared that she would have to abandon or pause her college education due to the high cost of child care.

In Texas, the average cost of child care can be up to $11,000 per year.

Fortunately for LaNessa, shortly after her first child was born she discovered the United Way Child Care Scholarship. The signature cause of Women United, the United Way Child Care Scholarship provides parents with free, high-quality child care so they can focus on their education.

“When I first found this scholarship, I was freshly postpartum and worried about how I would continue going to school while also being a single mom,” LaNessa said. “At times, it felt overwhelming and I wasn’t sure how I would make it all work.”

With United Way Child Care Scholarship supporting her family, LaNessa has the peace of mind she needs to continue pursuing her degree. Her daughter is excelling in her early education, the most critical time for a young child’s brain development, in a high-quality learning academy.

LaNessa believes that without the United Way Child Care Scholarship, she would have dropped out of college or taken much longer to finish her degree. “Sometimes, all a person needs is someone to believe in them and give them a chance,” she says. “United Way did that for me.”

Today she is attending her college classes, breaking generational curses and building a better future for her family. Best of all, she is showing her daughter that no matter what challenges life brings, they can create a different future for themselves.

She says that the scholarship has given her more than just financial assistance; it has given her hope, opportunity and support to create a better life.

“There is a saying that it takes a village to raise a child and I believe it also takes a village to help a mother succeed,” LaNessa said. “Sometimes, that village is made up of people who see your potential even when you are struggling to see it yourself. For me, United Way has been part of that village.”

If you would like to learn more about the United Way Child Care Scholarship or join Women United, please visit uwsatx.org. If you are searching for resources that can help with your education, food security, housing and other barriers to success, please call United Way’s 211 Helpline.