child care shortage

Licensed child care facilities can now apply to participate in a new program designed to support the recruitment and retention of child care employees.

South Plains Community Action Association, Inc., or SPCAA, serves approximately 114 counties in Texas, with a focus on assisting in rural communities. It is one of many organizations whose programs are under threat in upcoming federal budget proposals.

The White House is expected to unveil a budget proposal that will, reportedly, aim to eliminate Head Start. The federally-funded program is designed to promote school readiness among young children from low-income families and serves more than 65,000 kids across Texas.

Children at Risk aims to address the continued need for access to high-quality child care amid a rise in child care deserts.

By some estimates, Kansas is short more than 84,000 childcare slots in order to meet current demand. And even when they find an opening, families can pay more than their mortgage to keep their kid enrolled. State legislators say fixing the issue is a priority.

Child care is expensive for families, yet it doesn't bring in enough money for providers to grow or pay workers high wages. Kansas is at a crossroads.

Thirty-two groups sent a letter to Texas lawmakers on Monday urging them to increase state funding for child care. The state has lost more than a fourth of its child care programs since 2020.

The child care gap across the country is more than 30%, meaning the need for quality child care far outweighs the supply — and it's worse in rural areas.

Kansas has one proposal to expand capacity for toddlers, but child care providers worry that too many small children supervised by too few adults could threaten safety.

Facilities closed down during the pandemic. Those that survived are now struggling to find workers.