Trump Administration in Fort Worth to Discuss Affordable, Accessible Child Care

Price said having better family policies in Fort Worth businesses is a need and something they are working to improve. “They can do anything from parental leave to alternative childcare, subsidized childcare all sorts of things,” Price said. She said with the number of younger families in the city, it’s important to understand that child care directly correlates to businesses.

 

Price talked about some of the initiatives the city is doing to work on creating more accessible and high-quality child care. “We are talking with Tarrant County about partnering on a joint child care facility our employees can use and some of them will be eligible for federal subsidies and state subsidies,” Price said.

She also mentioned working with Tarrant County College on what better teaching habits they can have to better train child care teachers to ensure quality teaching.

“Ensuring every Fort Worth family has access to quality early childhood education and child care, regardless of zip code, is a top priority for Fort Worth,” Price said. “We are excited to showcase the work that has been underway for years and we believe that Fort Worth has the opportunity to be a model city for other communities where every child has a chance to succeed, families are supported and business thrive.”

This was all part of a roundtable discussion, hosted by HHS’s Administration for Children and Families (ACF), is the fifth in a series of ten roundtables to be hosted nationwide as part of the Trump Administration’s larger effort to support working families by promoting access to child care, a key initiative for the Administration.

“President Trump has made it a priority to strengthen American communities and families, and that includes a person-centered approach to providing the services that vulnerable Americans need to thrive. The roaring economy under President Trump offers a wealth of new opportunities to support one’s family and achieve independence,” Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services, said. “HHS is committed to partnering to provide the services and supports, including child care, that can help every American prosper. Delivering those services in an effective, efficient, and personalized way requires listening to those on the ground in local communities, and that is the goal of these roundtables.”

The goal of the roundtable is to highlight Fort Worth as an innovator in early education and child care, while discussing challenges. Roundtable participants bring diverse backgrounds and a wealth of knowledge to the discussion representing a variety of employers, public and private institutions, child care providers, private foundations, parents and elected officials. In addition to the roundtables, a Request for Information will be published in the Federal Register to collect additional public input from a wide array of stakeholders.

Supporting the economic and social well-being of families and children is a key initiative for the Administration. Information collected during these roundtables will be used to inform federal policy proposals, technical assistance, research agendas, and strategic planning to further expand access to, and affordability of, child care.