MESA, Ariz. -- You know the drill by now. If you've got the H1N1 virus, you have to stay home. But what if you have a couple kids who come down with the bug? Someone's got to watch them, and as CBS 5 found out, sometimes it can cost you.

Sisters Myra and Angel Clemmons go to Maxwell Preschool Academy in Mesa. Their mom, Jacque Willis-Clemmons, is a full-time working single mom. Like a lot of parents, Clemmons can't afford to take time off.

Clemmons said, "It's three children plus myself and I'm the only worker in the home."

So when Angel came down with the H1N1 virus a few weeks ago, Clemmons didn't know what to do.

"I'll be honest," she said. "When I talked to the doctor and told him, that was my first response -- 'I don't have time to submit to take off to take care of my child.'"

Fortunately, Clemmons' boss was flexible, and allowed her to take some vacation time to take care of her sick daughter. But not every boss is so accommodating.

Maxwell Preschool Academy owner Kathy Wailand sees cases like this all the time. She said, "If (a mother) loses time at work, if she has to call in sick quite often and use more days than what she has accumulated, it can cause a problem at her workplace."

Job loss isn't the only worry; another is making sure you can make ends meet after taking time off without pay.

Clemmons was able to make it work this time, but she knows that might not always be the case. It's a fear for many low-income parents in these tough times.

Day care providers admit it's a problem without a solid solution. They recommend having friends or family members who can step in and help out if you need it.