The COVID-19 pandemic magnified longstanding childcare burdens for working mothers, and Black working mothers experienced these pressures at the intersection of race, gender, and economic precarity. This qualitative grounded theory study examined how ten Black working mothers in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region experienced childcare disruption during the pandemic and how those disruptions shaped their mental health and pursuit of higher education. Data were collected through individual interviews and a follow-up focus group, then analyzed using open, selective, and theoretical coding in NVivo. Childcare emerged as the most consistently cited theme across participants, encompassing concerns about affordability, quality, availability of non-traditional care hours, and the disproportionate share of caregiving labor assumed by mothers relative to fathers. Participants described childcare strain as a direct driver of decision-making fatigue, exhaustion, and anxiety. Findings suggest that affordable, flexible, and high-quality childcare is a foundational resource without which Black working mothers cannot sustain employment, mental well-being, or educational advancement. Implications for employers, policymakers, and childcare providers are discussed, along with recommendations for future research.
