VAN NUYS, Calif. – Erica Richardson doesn't have the luxury of planning her day, she said. The mother of two boys has to take each day as it comes. 

"It's very stressful," Richardson said. "Any day can be wrong. One of them can wake up with an attitude, and the day can be just messed up."

Her two sons, 11-year-old Lonnie and 9-year-old Jayden, live with her at a Van Nuys motel. They became homeless over a year ago after she lost her janitorial job in Sylmar. Shortly afterward, she couldn't pay rent and lost her one-bedroom apartment.

"Not having a place to stay, especially when you got kids, is no joke," she said. "When you ain't got no vehicle, it ain't no joke."

Without a car, Richardson's job prospects are limited so she is focusing on improving her credit and finding permanent housing. But she says it's hard to get anything done during the day because she doesn't trust a babysitter to watch her sons, who constantly lift her spirits despite her struggles. 

"When I get down on myself, they are like, 'no, you're not a bad mom,'" Richardson said. "And I'm like, that really speaks volumes to me right now." 

She's also worried about their education during the pandemic. Both Jayden and Lonnie attend schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, and it's been tough trying to learn remotely. 

"From being online to actually being in class, there is a big difference," she said. "Because honestly online, you can learn to a certain extent, but there is nothing like being in a classroom."

Virtual learning is a challenge for Jayden, who has difficulty paying attention to his teachers over Zoom. But on the other hand, Richardson said her oldest son, Lonnie, is excited for classes because he started middle school in the fall. 

"I said, 'You will have a good time.' I said, 'You are going to see six different teachers,'" Richardson said. "'You ain't gotta look at the same teacher until about 2:15.' And we cracked up about it."

Tutors also come by the motel two days a week as part of a new program called "Kids First," which helps over 50 homeless families with school-age children in the LAUSD living in motels in Van Nuys and North Hills. The program is part of an effort led by Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez and other nonprofits, including LA Family Housing, to give education, health care, food, and housing support to students and their families for a full school year.

With all of the worries on Richardson's mind, she said she's grateful for any help. 

"I gotta keep moving forward. If not, then what? I gotta live for them," she said.