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Resources to help families struggling with childcare crisis
The shortage of childcare centers has deepened since the pandemic, when many were forced to close. And the cost can be out of reach for many families.
HOUSTON - Most parents know it can be tough to find high-quality, affordable childcare due to a shortage of licensed centers and high prices.
Child advocates are calling on the Texas legislature to address the state’s childcare crisis, which can often hold parents back from pursuing jobs or education. The University of Texas at Austin reports it costs the state $11.4 billion a year in lost productivity.
The shortage of childcare centers has deepened since the pandemic, when many were forced to close. And the cost can be out of reach for many families.
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After 3-year-old Lucas was born, his mother Mikayla Mora faced a tough decision that's all too common among new parents.
"Once he was born, it didn’t make sense to pay the price of daycare for an infant. So I stopped working for 18 months," said mother Mikayla Mora, a workforce development assistant.
And working mother Jasmin Gaona says she has had to balance the high cost of childcare with making sure her 7-year-old daughter is in good hands.
"The cost would rise, because they're on summer break. I was able to manage it. It was a little difficult with everything that’s going on now. It was very costly," said Gaona, a regional safety manager with construction firm Turner Industries.
State data shows the average cost of childcare for a 4-year-old in Texas, for example, is $9,600 a year. That's $800 a month.
Workforce Solutions says growing demand for its scholarships to help low-income families pay for childcare has lengthened the waitlist.
"It’s about 11 months right now. New families who are looking to apply could probably expect a wait of probably over a year at this time," explained Jennifer Starling, Manager of Early Childhood Education for Workforce Solutions.
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Starling says that Workforce Solutions is in the process of upgrading its application process to a new statewide system called Texas Child Care Connections and will re-open applications after January 13, 2025.
San Jacinto College offers accredited childcare to local families, with priority and grants available to San Jac students.
"When we are able to get them into our program, you see the sense of relief coming over them. They seem happier. They’re getting their work done. They’re getting their school done," said Natalie Garcia Calderon with the San Jacinto College Children's Center.
But San Jac, too, has a waitlist, which some parents join before the child is even born.
"As soon as families know they’re expecting, they want to get on the waitlist. And they just want to make sure they’re calling and ensuring they are on the waitlist," explained Abigail Ramirez of the San Jacinto College Children's Center.
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Experts say quality childcare not only helps children become better students; without it, parents can be prevented from pursuing higher-paying jobs or education.
The crisis has inspired some employers, such as Turner Industries, to be flexible and supportive of working parents in order to retain good employees.
"We make things balanced for our people. And that’s something not a lot of companies do for their people. And my question is why?" said Carla Thompson, Workforce Development Area Director for Turner Industries.
Mora has now resumed her career as a workforce development assistant at Turner, and has Lucas in childcare, which allows both of them to thrive.
"I think it helps to watch my son walk in to daycare, and he’s happy to go. It makes me feel better because it shows there’s nothing wrong," said Mora.
Here are some childcare resources:
- The Early Reach program by Harris County, United Way and BakerRiply is taking applications for 1,000 new spaces
- YMCA
- Head Start programs
- local churches
- city and county programs
- Parents can also check the list of centers accredited by Texas Rising Star and NAEYC, the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
- Some colleges offer childcare.
- Parents can also join community chat groups on Facebook, where they can ask other local parents where they take their children.
- Workforce Solutions Child Care Scholarships
- You can also check out Childcare Aware, which helps families pay for childcare.