BRYC team members share thoughts on working while mothering
How workplaces support moms matters.
By Elin Hawkinson & Josh Howard
Pew Research reports approximately 70% of mothers with children under 18 participate in the labor force, and nearly half of all employed mothers say it’s challenging to juggle work and home responsibilities. Nonprofits especially have a reputation for intense working environments and attracting individuals who feel deeply invested in the organizations’ mission. “I wanted a career with that kind of intensity and importance,” shares Associate Director of Curriculum and new mom Rachel Stevens, who returned from maternity leave at the end of April, just as volunteer recruitment, which she leads, kicked into high gear. Balancing professional ambitions and the desire to do what’s best for one’s child can create, as Stevens notes, an “internal tension.”
Recognizing and empathizing with this tension, as opposed to ignoring or even penalizing it, directly aligns with one of BRYC’s Trust Statements: “BRYC teammates love one another by caring about each other as people first.” Valuing our team’s rich experiences and their multiple hats ensures everyone, regardless of parental status, enjoys a healthy work-life integration. It also means being real when work and life inevitably clash, and developing structures and norms to meet people where they’re at.
Learning Manager Chasity Kelley, a mother of two, says, “Being a mom at BRYC is on the whole amazing! There is such a strong sense of family among the team and Fellows.” Yet, as an after school program, BRYC’s primary operations take place in the evenings, when families usually spend time together. “Not being able to help with homework, practices, or games has left me feeling some type of way on some nights, especially since we’re still building our support system here,” Kelley explains. “It’s taken some creative problem-solving as a family.”
“Never before have I worked for an organization that is beyond okay with those days when I have to bring my children to BRYC." – Monica Baker, Director of College Counseling
To mitigate missing out, BRYC offers remote work flexibility and a generous paid leave policy; intentionally includes children of team members in age-appropriate events; and has, essentially, an open-door policy for kiddos on campus. Director of College Counseling Monica Baker says, “Never before have I worked for an organization that is beyond okay with those days when I have to bring my children to BRYC, leave to pick them up from school, or accompany them on a field trip.” Kelley adds that it never feels “burdensome or out of place” to have her sons by her side at BRYC.
For Aareena Dhillon, BRYC’s Director of Upperclassmen Learning, who agrees with the adage “it takes a village to raise a child,” BRYC has become a “home away from home.” Neither she nor her husband have family in Baton Rouge, but she says, “My colleagues are ready to support and entertain my little human so I can get work done. It’s all hands on deck.”
Nationally, the best way to support working caregivers sparks ongoing debate. Black mothers, as reported by The Mom Project, experience additional biases that impact their career trajectory. While 98% of Black moms made moves to access higher earning potential, 82% found the pathway to career advancement difficult, and their post-pandemic return to the workforce lags behind other demographics. Concerningly, 84% of Black women are their household’s primary breadwinners, yet 68% of Black mothers feel excluded from or overlooked for growth opportunities.
A workplace that benefits from working mothers’ strengths and perspectives, like empathy, multitasking, time management, etc., should actively seek to empower women to succeed in their personal and professional lives. BRYC’s moms contribute immeasurable value to our community. We aim to be the village they – and their children – deserve.
Pictured above: Chasity Kelley and sons at BRYC’s end-of-year crawfish boil
