As most working parents will tell you, raising children is as rewarding as it is challenging. When your family or child is in a health crisis, however, personal and professional life can feel especially overwhelming. BC Project Analyst Rhonda Bucasas was in the thick of a family and personal struggle a few years ago when she had a new baby and her oldest daughter was diagnosed with an eating disorder.

“It was a matter of life and death,” she said. “My daughter was in and out of hospitals and treatment centers. Dealing with that as a full-time working parent, student, and with a new baby, it was extremely difficult on so many levels.”

What made a difference for her and her family, she said, was having a supportive work culture where she felt safe to tell her manager about her family emergency. “All I did was sit down with him and say this is what I’m struggling with, and he said: ‘Let’s get you some support.’ At BC, between my coworkers and our HR department, they didn’t miss a beat.”

When the opportunity to help lead BC’s Professional Parent Employee Networking Group (ENG) came up, Rhonda saw it as a way to pay it forward. “It was a no-brainer,” she said. “Our goal is to help other parents navigate working life with kids, and now, life during this pandemic, whether it is behavior changes, work-life harmony, virtual schooling support, or simply engaging in meaningful dialogue with fellow parents about shared hardships and success stories.”

Rhonda’s success stories include her daughter being able to manage her disorder and enjoy cooking again as a family — a shared passion.

“With BC, I didn’t feel like I had to struggle to be a mom.”