SOLANO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - While everyone has been impacted by the pandemic, one population that has been dramatically impacted is moms. As the pandemic erupted in the spring of 2021, approximately 3.5 million mothers with school-aged children either lost jobs, took leaves of absence or left the labor market altogether, according to the Census Bureau.

A new program, June Care, created by Bay Area mom Gretchen Salyer, aimed at socializing children at a very early age is launching its community based child care in Solano County.

“We connect with parents who are looking for childcare from people who care for their own children at home,” said Salyer. “Instead of reaching out to nannies or a babysitter, we are checking into the stay-at-home parents and connecting with parents who are already at home with their own child or children. The industry serves less than half of the demand.”

“Pre-pandemic, 51% of American families did not have access to reliable childcare. And, the main constraint for parents finding the help they need is that they cannot find the supply,” the mom of three daughters explained. This is an online beginning for those connections to be made. The company does really well in assisting military families and families who live a more transient lifestyle.

“I fell in love with the concept of moms coming together to support other moms,” said Jessica Mayberry from Davis. "I knew I had extra bandwidth to host June Care playdates during the weekdays while I was already home with my own kids and thought it could be a fun way to invest and connect with our community."

It is well known that having another child while you have a small person under foot can actually help a mom have a moment to do dishes as the two play. This is very different socializing than when there are six children in daycare, for example, where the children usually move as a unit to playtime, snacktime, naptime, etc.

“Typically, this is about stay-at-home moms already staying home and caring for their children connecting with another family,” said Salyer. “It helps her earn money doing what she already is doing. The benefit is that the adult-child ratio is very small. Our model is about bringing children into a loving home and socializing with other children. They learn social skills early on.”

It is free to sign up and one creates a file, and the company uses a matching algorithm that personalizes the opportunities.

“If someone thinks it is a great match, we can manage electronic payments through June Care and at the end of the year for anything over $600, we issue a 1099,” Salyer said. She said that so far, there are 500 families in the Dixon area but there are thousands across California.

For parents looking to earn extra income while spending time with their kids, June Care allows you to start earning income immediately. For more information on finding care or becoming a host, parents can visit junecare.co. It is free to sign up as a host or to find childcare.