Founded by Melinda French Gates, Pivotal Ventures accelerates social progress in the United States by removing barriers that hold people back.
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Caring for Each Other: The Jones Family
Produced in partnership with Women Photograph, our "Caring for Each Other" photo series aims to shine a light on the experiences of unpaid caregivers who often go unseen as they navigate one of the most complex jobs of all.
Kathleen Jones is a single mother who works over 40 hours a week from home. Due to pandemic-related daycare closures, she is now also the full-time caregiver to her 3-year-old son, Gabriel. Her role as caregiver often takes precedence, pushing her own mental wellness and rising anxieties about work and finances to the backburner.
Photo by Nicky Quanmina-Woo for Pivotal Ventures
Single mother Kathleen Jones, 32, reads a bedtime story to her son Gabriel, 4, at their home in Washington, D.C. When he began to experience separation anxiety at bedtime, Kathleen decided to give Gabriel more autonomy over his routine, hoping it might give him a sense of control. He now gets to choose which three books his mother will read to him, as well as the location where the reading will take place, and bedtime goes more smoothly as a result.
Photo by Nicky Quanmina-Woo for Pivotal Ventures
Kathleen and Gabriel hug in their living room. Kathleen works from home for the U.S. Patent office for 40 hours a week. In the early stages of the pandemic, with daycare and nursery schools closed, she was also Gabriel’s full-time caregiver and playmate. Each night, after putting him to bed, Kathleen would work for a few more hours before turning her attention to chores like cleaning, ordering groceries, washing dishes, and laundry. She would get five or six hours of sleep before another day.
Photo by Nicky Quanmina-Woo for Pivotal Ventures
Kathleen drags a stroller up a flight of stairs while carrying a bag of toys to the second floor apartment that she shares with her son, Gabriel.
Photo by Nicky Quanmina-Woo for Pivotal Ventures
Kathleen attempts to chip away at the growing pile of work for her employer, the U.S. Patent Office, after putting Gabriel, to bed. With Gabriel home all day during the pandemic, Kathleen splits her time and attention between simultaneous full-time jobs: her paid work and taking care of her son. Staying on top of her day job often means working late into the evening.
Photo by Nicky Quanmina-Woo for Pivotal Ventures
Kathleen checks Gabriel’s temperature with an ear thermometer at their home in Washington, DC.
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