HOUSTON, Texas – If you’re a parent, you know just how tough it is to find safe and affordable high-quality childcare in Houston.
KPRC’s Zach Lashway is shedding light on how big of a problem childcare deserts are in our area and across the state.
What is a childcare desert?
Childcare deserts impact so many families. So what exactly makes an area a dessert? Texas Workforce Commission defines a childcare desert as an area in which the number of children six and younger is three times greater than the capacity of licensed childcare providers in that area.
Check out this map to see what your neighborhood is dealing with. Red zip codes are where the number of children six and younger exceeds the number of childcare spots in that area.
“A quarter of a million children in the greater Houston area are sort of lacking this,” said Bob Sanborn, Children at Risk President and CEO. “We have a city, where the majority of our families are low-income and they want to work. Yet, one of the biggest challenges for them is finding high-quality childcare.”
Sanborn says high-quality childcare has a significant impact on academic success throughout that child’s academic career.
“So, the lady down the street, maybe, you know, it’s a clean house, it might be safe, but we just don’t know if a lot of learning is happening. And I think what parents really want is the is the clean, safe place down the street where we know it’s high quality and we know it’s getting them ready for, high-quality academics,” said Sanborn.
How can parents find help for childcare in Houston?
Ensuring safe places exist for children in our area Harris County, United Way and Greater Houston and BakerRipley teamed up to create a pilot program called Early Reach.
This created nearly 1,000 new spaces for high-quality early childhood education for kids, up to four years old, across the county at no cost to the family. You can search for centers in your area.
“We’re coming up to one year in May. So, the program is going to receive funding for another year, and children are going to start growing out of the program,” said Elizabeth Hale, BakerRipley Communications Manager.
Hale says by the time a child ages out of the program they are prepared to enter pre-kindergarten or kindergarten. Parents can continue with school or work and do not have to sacrifice stability.
My First Steps Learning Academy is one of 26 Early Reach centers in the county. Shannon Harris is a teacher at the center.
“What does this childcare mean to these children and their families?” asks Zach Lashway.
“They love that their children are actually learning and they can see the progression,” said Harris.
“The standards are higher at early reach because again, it’s not about just sending your kid here and knowing that you’re going to pick them up at the end of the day. It’s about education,” said Hale.
As many as 45 zip codes throughout the greater Houston area are childcare deserts. Of the nearly 2,000thousand zip codes in Texas, 352 of them are childcare deserts.
The YMCA is also working to provide childcare to families in deserts. While school is in and out of session and parents are working, the YMCA welcomes thousands of children each day to learn the necessary skills to learn, grow, and thrive. Offerings include:
- Before and After School Care – the YMCA serves over 5,000 children at approximately 180 sites and in 20 school districts.
- Holiday camps – Spring Break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.
- Summer camps – Camp Cullen, Day Camps, etc.
- Early education programs – infant, toddlers and preschool programming
Families can apply for financial assistance to access YMCA programs, ensuring all children have a safe place to go where they can learn, try new things and make new friends.
Here’s more information on the other childcare programs in the Houston area: