April and Tom Coleman’s world turned upside down in September of 2016. That’s when April got a phone call telling her that her sister was hospitalized and in critical condition. She had a fatal reaction to the dye used in a common medical procedure and died shortly thereafter.
April and Tom petitioned for custody of two of their nephews after her sister’s death and expanded their family overnight. They had three children of their own and were now caring for, and loving, 5 kids under the age of 16.
In addition to legal fees in the custody case, all of their expenses increased immediately. The biggest hurdle was the cost of full time day care for one nephew, and before and after school care for the other. Their daycare costs increased by almost $1000 per month.
Their daycare provider, Wausau Child Care, recommended they apply for a United Way funded Good Start Grant to offset the costs, which they immediately did. They feel very fortunate to have been awarded a grant so that their nephews can continue to attend a quality childcare program.
Even though both Tom and April are working at good paying jobs, the sudden increases in expenses were just unmanageable. They wanted to do the right thing for their nephews, but just needed a little help along the way. Good Start Grants pay a portion of daycare costs for income eligible families. April, Tom and their children were very grateful that the program was available to help them through a difficult time.
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