Rural Women, Family Care and COVID

Held on Wednesday, September 30 at 8:30 am CST

Check out the information from our Webinar; “Rural Women, Family Care, and COVID”.  There was an interesting and engaging discussion about family care and how it disproportionately falls to women – particularly at this time of COVID.  Exploring how rural women are navigating this, sharing research, identifying models and strategies as a way to find balance and support while looking towards the future.

Debra Fitzpatrick
Childrens Defense Fund

Debra Fitzpatrick is the Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs for Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota where she specializes in working family policy, including paid family and medical leave and child care assistance.   As the former co-director of the Center on Women, Gender and Public Policy, Debra’s interdisciplinary, intersectional quantitative and qualitative research and engaged policy work focused on the full range of barriers women face in pursuit of economic parity (paid time off to balance work and care, equal pay for equal or comparable work, stereotyping and segregation in lower-paying occupations) and was grounded in the collaborative networks necessary to achieve change.  For example, in collaboration with over 100 cross-sector working group members, she played a significant role in designing and successfully advancing the Women’s Economic Security Act (WESA), a broad-based nationally recognized legislative package simultaneously addressing the many factors that contribute to the gender pay gap.  More recently, Debra served as the research lead and author for the Minnesota paid family and medical leave (PFML) insurance design and implementation study that is the foundation for the bill passed by the Minnesota House, as well as a policy brief on PFML policy design to maximize support for rural communities, employers and families.  Debra’s parents live on a Centennial farm in northwestern Wisconsin.

Nancy Landeros
Mother of Three and Educator

Nancy Landeros, lives in Worthington, MN. She is a native of Texas, a mother of three children, an educator, and a former employee of 10 years at the Worthington School District. At the Worthington School District, she worked as a paraprofessional, administrative assistant, and program manager. She holds an associate’s degree from MN West Community & Technical College. She recently quit her job at the Nobles County Integration Collaborative to become a stay-at-home mom. One of many things that Nancy is looking forward to is building new relationships with women in her community who are stay-at-home mothers.

Mary Rotter
Owner/Director of Laker Prep Preschool and Early Childhood Centers

Mary is the owner/director of Laker Prep Preschool and Early Childhood Centers in Detroit Lakes, with her husband, Eric.  While teaching kindergarten in the twin cities metro for 10 years, she witnessed firsthand the importance that quality early learning has on a child’s K-12 success.  After assessing the needs in Detroit Lakes, in West Central, MN, for an all-day preschool program, she and Eric made the leap to move to her hometown, in 2011. The first year, Mary enrolled 10 children and one staff member.   In 2015, a second location was opened, caring for children birth to kindergarten, and they now enroll approximately 80 children, with 25 staff members.  Beginning in 2020, Mary is heading out of the lead teacher position in PreK, in an attempt to wear one less hat, and focus on her director role, supporting staff, children, and families program-wide.  Moving forward, Mary would like to work towards the goal of workforce development, retention, and wages, in the Early Childhood field.  Mary’s family consists of her husband, Eric, and children, Cole and Etta.  They enjoy all the outdoor and family-oriented activities that ‘lakes country’ has to offer!

Lori Vrolson
Executive Director of the Central MN Council on Aging (CMCOA)

Lori Vrolson has more than 27 years of experience in the field of aging. Currently, she is the Executive Director of the Central MN Council on Aging (CMCOA), serving the 14 counties in the central region of Minnesota. The Area Agency on Aging assists individuals to age successfully and develops the capacity of communities to care for an aging population. CMCOA administers the federal Older Americans Act funding program for non-medical in-home services; provides Senior LinkAge Line^® information and assistance; and develops innovative services and programs. Current focus areas include developing Lifetime Communities, expanding evidence-based chronic disease self-management resources, and assisting older adults as they transition across health and long-term care settings. Lori serves as Past President of the Minnesota Gerontology Society and Chair of the MN Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Lori holds a Master of Science Degree in Gerontology with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Political Science with a minor in Public Administration.