Government shutdown creates hardships for new parents

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - Peter Kirby and his wife Lindsay welcomed a baby girl into the world less than two weeks ago. But the new parents are dealing with an added stress because Peter, who works for the IRS, hasn't been paid in almost a month.

Timing for the Kirby family couldn’t be much worse. Peter’s promotion he was promised before the shutdown was put on hold and just this past summer they bought and invested money into a new home assuming their dual income could pay the bills.
 
It’s the paralyzing reality of a partial government shutdown - Peter is one of the more than 380,000 workers on temporary leave. 

"The prices of homes, everything’s expensive," Kirby said. "People live paycheck to paycheck. I feel like they just need to get it right. It’s just crazy you know, Republicans and Democrats can’t get it together."

The Kirbys are relying on the government coming to some sort of solution. Right now Lindsay, who is a speech pathologist, is using sick days for her maternity leave but the new mom who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma two years ago may very well need them for herself down the road. 

"To have to wonder and worry about getting treatment and not having income, if my insurance if going to cover all these cutting edge treatments if I needed to go out of state or to a special hospital," she said. "It’s just another piece of the puzzle that just doesn’t fit right now."

If there’s any silver lining it’s the timing.   Peter would’ve had to use sick days to be home with his family once his wife gave birth. The only downside which is a big one - he’s not getting a paycheck. 

"Everyone just wants to go to work and do a good job. It’s affecting us, we have bills to pay."

The family has a message for the government:   "Find another way to come to an agreement," Lindsay Kirby said. "We teach our children to share, compromise, be kind, let’s do that with each other."