Dear Editor,

As the country continues to recover from the effects of Hurricane Melissa I feel compelled to share the difficult reality that many essential workers, especially single mothers, face when disaster strikes.

I am a single mother and an essential worker. When government orders were issued for schools and child care facilities to close for safety, I fully understood and supported the decision. However, it immediately placed me and many others in an impossible position. With no relatives living in this parish and no community support system to fall back on, I was forced to make a heartbreaking choice: Do I stay home to keep my child safe, or do I report to work to serve my country as required?

Essential workers are the backbone of the nation’s response in times of crisis. Whether it’s health-care staff, public health officials, utility teams, or first responders, we are called upon to ensure that services continue and the public remains safe. Yet behind every uniform and ID badge there are parents silently struggling to balance duty with family responsibilities.

When schools and day cares close, essential workers who rely solely on those services are left stranded. Many of us cannot afford private babysitters or emergency help. Some workers have even had to bring their children to workplaces unsuited for them simply because there was no other option. These situations create emotional distress and compromise both safety and productivity.

I believe the time has come for Jamaica to seriously consider establishing emergency child care measures or systems for essential workers during national crises.

These systems would not only ease the burden on working parents but also strengthen our national resilience. In every hurricane, fire, or public health emergency, essential workers show up, often at great personal sacrifice. We cannot continue to ask them to choose between their children’s safety and their national duty.

Hurricane Melissa was a powerful reminder that true preparedness goes beyond stocking supplies and clearing drains; it must also include planning for the human realities that affect the people we depend on most. As we rebuild our homes, restore power, and return to normality, let us also rebuild the safety nets that protect those who protect us

We are proud to serve Jamaica in every storm. All we ask is that Jamaica finds a way to serve us too.

Single mother and essential worker

St Ann, Jamaica

nsgbusiness@gmail.com