But it's so sad that women and men who idealize the role of motherhood and how important

child care is actually have contempt for it when it is a paid job.

I think that the pandemic has given us an opportunity to finally change this.

And if we don't, the economic impact from the fallout of women in the workforce is going

to be devastating.

You're listening to Epidemic, the podcast about the science, public health, and social

impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

I'm your host, Dr. Celine Gounder.

Sarah Murphy is an advocate for women and children in Pennsylvania.

She's involved with an organization called the Women and Girls Foundation.

Was the person that would go to Harrisburg and go to the politicians and fight for funding

for pre-K?

Sarah grew up with a single mother.

My mother didn't have a big bank account and never had a savings account, so she was

pretty much living paycheck to paycheck like I am.

And people don't realize when your paycheck to paycheck as soon as your paycheck is cut

off, there's no savings.

That experience shaped a lot of her activism.

When she wasn't volunteering, she worked in daycares and after school programs and clean

departments.

So then I had a son and that kind of shifted my goals towards moms and the things that moms

need.

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