River Bancroft: Raising a Son, Building a Future

River didn’t expect to become a single parent, but everything changed when her son was born. “My kid means everything to me,” she says. “He’s very goofy, very sweet, very loving. Sometimes a little stubborn, but definitely one of the best things that’s ever happened to my life.” 

Now nine months old, her son is full of energy and personality. “His favorite thing right now is to take his little xylophone and piano and just smash it on everything in his play yard. He absolutely loves to do that.” 

Raising a child alone has brought challenges that River hadn’t anticipated, but Medicaid has been a lifeline for their family, giving her the chance to give her son the best life she can. “Having Medicaid helped me cover everything with having him. It was a very unexpected kind of event in my life, but it’s something I wanted to do regardless,” she explains. “Medicaid helped make sure I can keep him up to date with vaccines, get his medications, and have access to things like MIHP to track his development.” 

Medicaid has also allowed River to take care of her own health. “It helps make sure I stay in good health so I can manage taking care of him,” she says. “Without Medicaid, I would not be able to afford to do all these things to take care of me and him.” 

River’s understanding of the importance of Medicaid began early. “When I first moved up here, my mom had all of us on Medicaid. We had little to no money and were living in my uncle’s living room at the time because we had nowhere to go. Medicaid became a helpful resource to help me take care of me and my son.” 

If Medicaid were taken away, the impact would be immediate. “It would start cutting into essentials like diapers, wipes, and food for both of us. Medical expenses are very expensive.” 

River also receives EBT and WIC, which help with food. But the struggle to stay afloat remains. “In the area I live, jobs are limited. Unless you work in construction or something like that, it’s hard to make enough. Most jobs pay around $12 an hour. Over 50 percent of that would go to childcare.” 

She’s determined not to stay in survival mode. River is working toward a certification and has plans to start her own business. “I want to get out of this loop of just barely getting by,” she says. “I know Medicaid is something a lot of people are unsure about, but for families like mine, especially single parents or people who ended up in hard situations, it helps us get back on our feet.” 

“I love my son. I don’t intend to use these resources forever. I want to give him the life he deserves. Without these supports, I wouldn’t be able to do that at all.” 

River hopes others understand what is at stake. “Cutting Medicaid would only cause more difficulties and struggles for families like mine. These programs give us a way forward. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to keep going.”