Need child care while you vote? In some states, you can get it paid for.

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Olympic track and field star Allyson Felix is helping moms vote in this election.

Felix, who has been an outspoken advocate for parents, is partnering with the nonpartisan organization Chamber of Mothers to raise awareness for child care support available to parents voting in North Carolina, New York and Los Angeles this election cycle. This summer, Felix secured the first Olympic child care center.

In North Carolina, Felix and Chamber of Mothers are promoting a program through the nonprofit Politisit that will reimburse up to two hours of child care for parents heading to the polls. Parents just have to fill out a Google Form with information on what care they will need and how much it will cost. In western North Carolina, where Hurricane Helene caused massive destruction at the end of September, Politisit will reimburse up to a full day of care.

In Los Angeles, Brella, a child care center known for its flexible hours, will be offering up to a full day of free child care for kids 3 months to 6 years of age. Similarly, in New York City and Westchester, select Vivvi child care centers will offer up to a full day of free care to caregivers who are voting.

Bumo, a marketplace for parents to find flexible child care in New York, and Smart Sitting, a platform for parents to find babysitters in California, are also each donating $10,000 in child care services that parents can access by signing up through Politisit.

“This election, you don’t have to choose between voting and motherhood,” Felix said in a statement. “This election, you can do both.”

Caregivers, and especially single mothers, are one of the biggest groups of non-voters in the country. Many say they feel “defeated or that their vote doesn’t make a difference,” said Erin Erenberg, the CEO and founder of Chamber of Mothers. Others cite the challenges of standing in potentially long lines with kids or not being able to secure care as barriers that have kept them from the ballot box.

But this election cycle, when candidates have spoken about caregiving more than ever, efforts have ramped up to help parents take part in a consequential election.

To check your voter registration status or to get more information about registering to vote, text 19thnews to 26797.  

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