Child Care Crisis in North Texas
The stakes are high for North Texas’ young children, as the latest analysis by advocacy nonprofit Children at Risk shows thousands of available openings at child daycare facilities have vanished statewide since last September.
Texas lost nearly 75,000 child care seats last year, creating a 15% increase in child care deserts, said Kim Kofron, senior director of education at Children at Risk. This means several areas with at least 30 children under age 6 have a demand for quality child care that is three times greater than the current capacity.
It also means that although Texas has added over 300,000 new child care seats, 56% of low-income children under age 6 with working parents still live in an area where there is inadequate daycare, according to the nonprofit.
Child Care Deserts in Dallas and Tarrant Counties
In both Dallas and Tarrant counties, families lost 14,341 child care seats last year, Kofron said. Dallas added an additional 13 child care deserts last year, an 8.33% increase from the previous year, according to the nonprofit. However, the number of Texas Rising Star child care desserts in Dallas decreased by 33.33%, meaning a few more low-income families are obtaining quality child care.
In Fort Worth, there are now 11 more child care deserts, a 37.5% increase from the previous year, though the number of Texas Rising Star deserts decreased by 15.63%, according to the nonprofit.
“I’m so alarmed that the number of deserts have gone up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area,” Bob Sanborn, CEO of Children at Risk.
A screenshot of the Children at Risk child care deserts map displays where child care deserts are located in Dallas County.(Screenshot)
Impact on Low-Income Families
Despite the overall increase in child care deserts, Children at Risk found a 28.34% decrease in the number of child care deserts for Texas Rising Star programs. This means Texas has 23.4 seats per 100 children from low-income working parents, up from last year’s 7.2 child care seats available per 100 children from low-income working families.
The data also shows that while the number of overall child care centers has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, family child care homes experienced a 24% loss since 2019, disproportionately impacting rural communities and communities of color, according to the nonprofit.
Importance of Child Care Centers
Child care centers matter because they give young kids a critical opportunity to develop and grow their brains during their first five years of life, Korfron said. They also matter because they give parents an opportunity to participate in the workforce, she added.
Legislative Proposals
Meanwhile, child care advocates at Monday’s press conference highlighted how the findings come days after the Texas House of Representatives passed a $100 million investment in the state’s supplemental budget to provide child care scholarships to low-income working families.
“The supplemental bill is a bill that has to pass,” said Adriana Kohler, policy director of the Texans Care for Children advocacy group.”
“Whether or not child care – the $100 million for child care subsidies – stays in, is a question. That’s why we need to make sure that Senate leaders know that this is an important funding piece that should be included in the final bill.”
The $100 million in funding is just one of the forms of legislation that Texas lawmakers are considering this session. Legislators are also considering bills that would create tuition exemptions for child care employees, data collection on child care capacity, employer incentives for supporting child care access, and task forces to improve regulations and funding for child care programs.
Proposed Solutions
Jerletha McDonald, CEO and founder of the DFW Family Child Care Network, said Texas needs to increase reimbursement rates for child care providers who rely on child care subsidies to serve parents and their kids.
She also proposed the creation of grants for child care centers and programs, legislative protection for centers, laws that protect family child care businesses, the prevention of local zoning restrictions that limit home-based child care, retirement planning resources for child care workers and an overall reimagining of the child care system.
“We must engage industries that depend on child care in the workforce,” McDonald said.
“Health care, education, retail, hospitality, logistics and beyond, these industries cannot function without childcare. Together, we can design a more equitable, sustainable and family centered system that supports working families and the educators who serve them. Remember, childcare is the workforce behind the workforce.”
Conclusion
The child care crisis in North Texas is a pressing issue that affects not only the young children but also their working parents. The loss of child care seats and the increase in child care deserts have significant implications for the development and growth of children, as well as the ability of parents to participate in the workforce.
It is essential for lawmakers to pay attention to the amount of closures occurring among child care centers statewide and to consider proposals that address the root causes of the crisis. By increasing reimbursement rates, creating grants, and providing legislative protection, Texas can work towards creating a more equitable and sustainable child care system that supports working families and the educators who serve them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a child care desert?
A: A child care desert is an area with at least 30 children under age 6 that has a demand for quality child care that is three times greater than the current capacity.
Q: How many child care seats were lost in Texas last year?
A: Texas lost nearly 75,000 child care seats last year, creating a 15% increase in child care deserts.
Q: What is the impact of child care deserts on low-income families?
A: Child care deserts disproportionately impact low-income families, with 56% of low-income children under age 6 with working parents living in an area where there is inadequate daycare.
Q: What are some proposed solutions to the child care crisis?
A: Proposed solutions include increasing reimbursement rates for child care providers, creating grants for child care centers and programs, and providing legislative protection for centers and family child care businesses.
