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The entire world has been suffering for the last year, due to the unrelenting clutches of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The loss of life and economic security has been staggering.  Close to 9,000 people have died from this horrible disease in Louisiana alone, and that number will surely be higher by the time you read this.

The financial impact has been devastating in our state as well.  A new report from the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children is shining a light on just how hard it has been, and it's not good.  Nearly half of the parents in our state are saying that they have lost a significant portion of their income during the pandemic due to the restrictions put in place to keep us safe.  The side effect of the phased recovery method is a loss of business for nearly every company there is.  Lost wages, lost jobs, lost opportunities and more took a chunk of the money families need to just get by.

This unfortunate fact led to other difficult situations for moms and dads in the Sportsman's Paradise.  With so many day cares and schools shutting down across the state to combat outbreaks, parents were struggling to find child care solutions that would allow them to continue working.  This forced thousands to take vacation and sick days in order to be at home with their children.  When those days ran out, this turned into un-paid days off for lots of parents.

To compound the issue, nearly 1 in 6 said that someone in their household actually lost their job (and that much needed income) during the pandemic.

I have 2 kids: One in school (12) and one who had to stay home (3).  Luckily, my wife has an extremely flexible schedule so we have been barely able to navigate these treacherous waters.

In Pictures: What Education Looks Like Around the World During a Pandemic

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