I am very sorry for your loss.
Yes do look into exchange health insurance.

I am sorry -- jobs that are 9 to 2 aren't going to give benefits. Para jobs in my area also do not give benefits, as they are not full time employees, but it may be different where you are. This is such a hard situation. It happened to my family when I was a child and basically, my mother went from being SAHM to becoming a secretary to get benefits. She ultimately did an evening accounting degree and got a decent job as an accountant, but also experienced ageism. If you can swing it for awhile, don't go back to work and get some sort of degree, then plan to go back to work full-time as you don't have the luxury of being able to easily afford benefits. You'll need to get an after-school helper, eventually your kids will be able to drive.

Sorry for this terrible new family situation and loss of your partner.

I'm sorry for your loss.

You should see if an exchange health care plan is cheaper than COBRA. COBRA is very expensive at 102% of the total premium.

Personal care assistance for a senior or someone with disabilities. Also look into exchange plans to see if they are cheaper than cobra.

Can you do a program/degree and train for a new career? The amount you will make as a para is so low. You might be better off investing in yourself now.

Dog walker through rover?
Look for part time paralegal or similar jobs, though depending on the firm they might want someone who can stay in the afternoons and file things.
Medical receptionist or billing might have a schedule that works for you. Or some hospitals and nursing homes and assisted living places have part time shift jobs.
Also if there are parents who need to get to work early and your kids are fairly self sufficient, could you be a morning babysitter who gets little kids to school?

If you have the patience and love of humanity to be a special needs parapro, you might have luck finding a job. If working only school hours, that would give you time to look for other jobs.

Many districts have contract staff and they do not get the benefits that regular staff get. Cafeteria work can get outsourced. So think through that.

Could you pursue being an health care office manager/administrator? Billing specialist? The offices I go to employ long-term reliable staff for these purposes.

COBRA is $$$. Look for school office jobs that will offer health coverage.

I’m really sorry for your loss. What’s your educational/professional background? That might suggest something to us. Also, how old are your kids (approximately)?

I am so sorry for your loss.

Is education something you're interested in? Half day preschool teacher can be a good way to get a foot in that door, and then when you're ready and have some education and experience, you can look at full time positions in either public schools, or independent schools.

a half-day preschool program would meet those hours constraints. But the pay is not good.

Anonymous wrote:You can do delivery work and work your own hours, and also bring your kids with you.

I’m already driving a lot so I don’t know if I can put my body and my vehicle through that. I’m not at the point of not being able to pay bills and I really need to rebuild my professional resume. I have thought about driving in Saturdays when each of them have a long practice just so I can cover some other small expenses and come out even.

You can do delivery work and work your own hours, and also bring your kids with you.

Not exactly ending at 2, but teaching?

I’m a SAHM and recently widowed. I have life insurance benefits and other survivors’ benefits but the reality is that I need to rebuild my resume, pay for COBRA, and establish sufficient income to hire more help in the future. But I also have kids who are established in their extracurriculars and really need the comfort and stability of a routine, along with their familiar friends and coaches.

I have some carpools and help from friends for now but I’m realistic that it won’t be forever and that I need to build sustainable, paid options for driving the kids so I can have a full-time career and get health benefits.

What kinds of jobs are out there that might put me on the right track? Initially I was looking for something known for solid benefits, like Trader Joe’s or Costco, but I won’t have the flexibility they require at the start. A friend suggested being a school paraprofessional or cafeteria worker to get a foothold in a local school district.

Any other ideas?