To the editor:

I have always believed that raising children is the most difficult job most of us will ever do, though also the most rewarding, so I was delighted to read the article “City to get drop-in child care center.”

Years ago, when I raised my children in Lawrence as a working mother with our nearest relatives many miles away, I would have given anything for the opportunity to have a safe, reliable backup child care alternative. Instead, the alternatives were leaving the children unattended when they really shouldn’t be, leaving them with a caregiver who might not be trustworthy, or foregoing the opportunity to have a respite from caregiving, which can cause frustration, burnout or worse.

I applaud Ms. Evans’ vision of a place where children will enjoy going on these occasions when drop-in care is needed. Rather than being occasions where both parents and children are desperately stressed and unhappy, it can be an opportunity for all to benefit from doing something enjoyably out of the ordinary. It’s easy to say we value our children highly, but here is a chance to prove we mean what we say.

I know it will require tremendous amounts of time, energy and resources to make this effort a success. I hope the Lawrence community is willing to make that effort because this is such a worthwhile investment. Knowing our children are safe, happy and well-cared for is, as the TV commercial says, “priceless.”