Back-to-school month was a hellscape for parents, caused, in no small part, by the inadequacy of in-the-market edtech offerings (combined with the inadequacy of tech-training for teachers).

Fast-forward a mere 4 months, and the premier startup event of the season – the famous YC demo day – featured not one or two but SEVEN emerging fam-tech companies among its hallowed few.

What will happen to our kids' education now that schools will not reopen? With nothing more to hold onto than the hope that the distance-learning programs schools are putting in place will be better than what we saw in the spring, parents are turning to the private sector for answers.

The biggest trends in the family tech space this month revolved around side effects of COVID-19: health, education and family/household management. Founders are building some very exciting new technology in all three areas.

May was a big month in family tech, as the world woke up to how important child care is to the recovery of the economy, and family tech startups pitched in to help essential workers. The takeaway: We need better ed tech, more child care options, and more bailout money for child care centers.