BOSTON -- Imagine devoting your working life to taking care of other people's children, but in some ways not being able to take care of your own.

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NewsCenter 5's Anthony Everett reported that is the case for Grace Richardson, who runs a family day-care center in Dorchester. Richardson can't provide her own children with health insurance.

Richardson has provided child care for working families for the past two decades. But while she provides the best of care to the children in her home day-care center, she feels she's not providing enough care for her own six children.

"I need health insurance myself, but I really worry about my children," said Richardson.

Daughters Chanda and Assatta work for her, as does her 17-year-old son, Malcolm. But health care is out of reach both as a mother and an employer.

"I looked into buying health insurance and it is too expensive and I looked as an employer into buying health insurance and that's way too expensive," she said.

Like many of the working uninsured, Richardson falls into the group that makes too much money to qualify for medical care from the state through MassHealth, but not enough to buy health insurance on her own.

Richardson said she isn't looking for a handout, instead she's looking for a permanent solution. She's trying to galvanize the collective power of the 250 members of the American Child Family Care Association.

"I'm hoping to work with other groups in the state to bring out the need for health insurance coverage in the state -- people who are actually working can't afford health insurance. We work sick -- that's the scenario," she said.

It's a scenario she'd like to change for the future of her children and the children she cares for.

"I think that if you work you should have health insurance, people should have at least some standard coverage and not have to choose between paying bills and paying for medication or a doctor bill," she said.