PA UC eligibility after quitting due to childcare crisis - rural area daycare nightmare

You actually might have a decent chance at approval. PA unemployment considers "necessitous and compelling" reasons for quitting, and childcare issues can sometimes qualify. Since you made repeated documented attempts to resolve the situation with your employer before quitting, that helps your case tremendously. Make sure you emphasize that you exhausted all options before quitting - the schedule accommodation requests, the 20+ internal job applications, and the fact that your childcare provider became abusive leaving you with no alternatives. Document EVERYTHING when you file your claim. Keep copies of those emails with management, the job applications, and any evidence of your mom's behavior toward the children. I've seen similar cases get approved, but be prepared for them to initially deny you and then have to appeal.

idk i think youll prolly get denied tbh... pa unemployment is super strict about "voluntary quits" even with good reason. my friend quit after her daycare closed and she got denied cuz they said she shouldve found another option b4 quitting

I successfully won my UC case after quitting for childcare reasons, but I had to APPEAL first. They almost always deny these cases initially, but appeals have a better chance if you have documentation. The key regulation is that you must prove you made "reasonable efforts to preserve the employment relationship" before quitting. Your 20+ internal job applications and requests for schedule accommodation should help tremendously. During my hearing, I provided: 1. Emails with my boss showing attempts to resolve the issue 2. Application confirmations for other positions 3. Documentation about local childcare availability 4. A timeline showing I quit as a last resort And YES, you absolutely must continue filing your weekly claims while waiting for a decision! This is critical. Even if they deny you initially, keep filing while you appeal. If you win the appeal, they'll only pay for weeks you properly filed claims.

Dealing with PA UC is incredibly frustrating when you're already stressed about childcare and finances! Have you tried getting through to an actual person at the UC office? I was stuck in limbo for WEEKS until I finally got to speak with a real agent. If you're struggling to reach someone, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to an unemployment representative much faster than calling yourself and waiting on hold for hours. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 that shows how it works. Talking to an actual person made a huge difference in my case - they could see all my documentation and explain exactly what else I needed to provide for my "compelling reason" quit.

THE UC SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO REJECT YOU!!!!! They make it IMPOSSIBLE for people with legitimate reasons to get benefits. I had to quit my job after my abusive ex found out where I worked and they STILL denied me initially even though I had a PFA!!! The whole system is RIGGED against workers. You basically have to APPEAL EVERYTHING and fight like hell. It's not fair that parents with no childcare options are treated like we're just lazy. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING and don't give up!!!

Just to clarify some information about UC eligibility when quitting for childcare reasons: 1. Under PA UC law, you need to prove that you had a "necessitous and compelling" reason to quit 2. You must demonstrate you made reasonable efforts to maintain the employment relationship before quitting 3. The childcare issue must have been created by circumstances beyond your control (your mom becoming abusive would qualify) 4. Your efforts to find alternative solutions must be well-documented Since you have documentation of trying to solve this through schedule changes and internal job transfers, you've built a decent case. When speaking with UC representatives, use these specific terms - "necessitous and compelling" and "reasonable efforts to preserve employment" - as these are the exact legal standards they use to determine eligibility.

just went thru this!!! got denied first then appealed n got approved. heres wut happened - i quit cuz my babysitter moved away n i couldnt find anyone else n my boss wouldnt let me switch to night shift when my husband was home. they denied me sayin i should of tried harder to find childcare. i appealed n sent them a list of EVERY daycare in 30 mile radius with their waitlists n prices. i won! make sure u have proof u tried EVERYTHING

Update: I just got a letter saying my claim is "under review" with an "open issue" regarding my job separation. There's a questionnaire asking for more details about why I quit. Should I call them before filling it out? I'm nervous about saying something wrong that might hurt my case.

why didnt u jst ask to switch to evenings or weekend shifts? seems like that woulda been the ez solution with ur ex working diff hours

Make sure when you're explaining your case that you emphasize the timeline and sudden nature of your childcare crisis. PA UC regulations recognize that unforeseen emergencies (like your mother becoming abusive to your children) can create legitimate reasons to quit. The fact that you continued working for weeks/months while actively seeking solutions (internal transfers, schedule changes) shows good faith on your part. During your fact-finding interview, be very clear about the immediate safety concerns for your children that forced your hand - this isn't just about convenience but about protecting your kids from harm when no other options existed.