Everyone has had their lives upended by the pandemic. But the problem has been felt most acutely by women, with more than 2 million leaving the workforce nationwide. 

And parents’ lives have been disrupted, as they juggle jobs with at-home or blended learning for their school-age children, and limited child care options. 

Put those together, and you can see the problem for single working mothers. Job insecurity, housing insecurity, and food insecurity are all realities, on top of the stress of living through a pandemic while raising children.

Corie Tracy tells me, “self-care has not been a priority” as she goes through life as the working mother of two. Kara O'Dwyer sees the impact of stress in her life as she juggles three jobs and an eighth-grader at home. 

They’re two of the women profiled in a series of stories published today in the CT Mirror. A look at how the pandemic has affected the lives of single mothers in the state. This episode, we meet them, find out how they’re coping, and brainstorm some strategies to make their lives just a bit better.