at 18, I started living with a man who had children (3 and 5 at the time) and soon we were also caregivers to his neice and nephew (2 and 6). For the next 4 years I was an active caregiver for all four children, and one of my own. During that time, I saw how my service, just my time, helped a family of 8 (adult included) stay together and succeed at their own goals. Without that support, they would have been split up and give up on dreams for the sake of the children.
Now i have two of my own children, and 7 years of food management experience. Which seems irrelevant, however, my experiences working with teenagers in that setting really showed me the value positive adult influences have on children of all ages. I loved the job because of the support I provided outside the workplace; life advice, homework, career goals, financial discipline, etc. I strongly believe "it takes a village", and I want to be actively involved in supporting children in the community, which means supporting the parents. "Babysitting" seems like it's an inconsequential placeholder for parents, but in reality, it provides freedom for parents to provide for their families, and grow individually, which helps the family unit overall. Networks of caregivers directly promote the wellbeing of the community, and that is something I can be excited to be a part of.