TARRANT COUNTY (WBAP/KLIF)- Mayor Betsy Price and Child Care Associates’ (CCA) CEO, Kara Waddell, announce the launch of FIND! Child Care tool aimed at supporting working parents employed at essential businesses during Tarrant County’s community response to the COVID-19 emergency.
Parents employed by essential businesses, can now access a searchable online tool providing real-time availability of child care spots at licensed child care centers in Tarrant County for children ranging from zero to 12 years of age. This tool goes beyond any existing search options for parents seeking detailed information that includes availability and quality details on child care options near their home and/or work. Waddell, recently added to the Texas Governor Abbot’s Frontline Child Care Task Force to support forward-thinking solutions for child care needs during COVID, adds, “Our community has rallied to build in a few days a platform that today serves essential workers and post-COVID-19 can serve all Tarrant families in need of child care”. As communities continue to deal with widespread disruption stemming from the COVID-19 emergency, The Best Place for Kids!™ is motivated to help working parents find safe and available child care options for their children while they meet essential workforce needs. Committed to The Best Place for Kids!™ mission, CCA’s Waddell, philanthropic representatives, early education specialists, BridgeCare, 501ops and community leaders have worked tirelessly to create this unique community solution in anticipation of the intensified burden working parents are facing in order to care for their children, while meeting immediate community needs through their professional obligations.
Working parents in Tarrant County in need of child care are encouraged to FIND! Child Care via: find.bestplace4kids.com
Best Place for Kids Program Director Cheraya Peña said upon launch, the FIND! tool has 7,700+ available licensed child care spots listed (for children ages 0-12) across Tarrant County. She said approximately 50% of licensed child care centers are operational across Tarrant County due to child care provider decisions to remain open during the COVID-19emergency.
Essential businesses are defined in Tarrant County’s emergency declaration and detailed on the City of Fort Worth’s website: http://fortworthtexas.gov/COVID-19/
