Heather’s Story: When Success Becomes a Setback

Heather is a dedicated mother of three and a proud New Jersey resident raising her children on her own. Through years of hard work and determination, she steadily climbed the ladder in her federal government career — earning well-deserved promotions and doing everything right to build a better life for her family.

But with her latest promotion came an unexpected burden.

Heather’s new salary, though modest, pushed her just over the income threshold for New Jersey’s child care subsidy program. Overnight, she lost access to vital support — and was suddenly expected to pay $1,327 per week out of pocket for daycare. That’s nearly $5,300 a month — an impossible cost for a single-income household.

Instead of being rewarded, Heather was penalized for her success.

Sadly, Heather’s story isn’t unique.

Every day, parents across the country work tirelessly to advance their careers and provide stability for their children — only to be met with the crushing reality of unaffordable child care. They face a heartbreaking choice: scale back their dreams, or sacrifice their financial security.

At Parents Deserve Success, we believe no parent should have to choose between career advancement and quality care for their children. We exist to fill that gap — offering support, advocacy, and relief to working families caught in this broken system.

Because success shouldn’t come with a penalty.
It should come with peace of mind.