“It’s not easy.” This was the response, delivered with a laugh, from LaBreshia “Bre” Taylor ’23 MPH when asked what it’s like balancing a full-time job and a master’s program with a 200-hour internship requirement.

Taylor works full-time as a program support specialist for Arcadia’s Department of Physical Therapy, having joined the department in 2020. She’s also spent the last year interning with Along The Way, a Montgomery County-based nonprofit that provides free child care and professional development resources to low-income, single mothers. On top of all that, Taylor was selected to present at the 2022 Pennsylvania Early Childhood Education Summit, happening over Zoom Oct. 17-19.

Her session, scheduled for the morning of Oct. 17, is titled “63%: Saving Moms and Children from the Childcare Poverty Crisis.” This 63% refers to the proportion of a single mother’s income that could be used for child care expenses. Taylor and the Executive Director of Along The Way, Kristina Valdez, will highlight the various socioeconomic factors that contribute to the current childcare crisis impacting nearly 4 million single mothers living below the federal poverty line. Attendees will also learn about Along the Way’s holistic care approach to providing stability and self-sufficiency to single moms. Finally, Taylor and Valdez will provide educators with the tools to identify families in their classrooms that may be in need of additional support.

“I am very appreciative of this opportunity and look forward to speaking at the Summit about a population that means so much to me,” said Taylor. “The traditional family structure is changing and two-parent households are no longer the norm. My hope is that this presentation sheds light on the importance of policies that support the changing family landscape. Single mothers are deserving of support and should know they are not in this alone.”

More than 800 educators are expected to attend the virtual conference, which prior to the pandemic was held at Pennsylvania State University.