SAN ANTONIO – The need for affordable child care continues to plague families across all income levels, but it’s especially difficult for those living under the federal poverty line.
Children At Risk tracks child care deserts in the Bexar County area. Areas in the southern part of San Antonio face the biggest challenges where the number of licensed child care facilities for children who need care are nonexistent or are low compared to the number of children who need care.
A report by UT Austin shows the ongoing child care crisis, with Texans paying an average annual cost of $9,000 plus for infant care. The study showed that in three years, starting in 2020, 5,000 child care centers and licensed homes closed, leaving fewer options for families. Add to that the fact that child care workers earn poverty-level wages.
Head Start San Antonio is a $41 million federally and locally funded program that serves over 3,000 children in the San Antonio Independent School District and Edgewood ISD area. Cassandra Farias-Ybarra said the program’s mission is to prepare children and engage families for school readiness and lifelong success.
“We are a multi-generational program. So not only do we serve the child, but we serve the family,” Farias-Ybarra said. “Do they need extra resources? Are there referrals that we can provide to them so that we can help to improve their overall well-being?”
The program serves those who are in the federal poverty line, children with disabilities, and families who are experiencing homelessness.
Applications are open year-round. Home-based care is available, but Farias-Ybarra said more families are now trying to improve their financial status and looking for center-based care.
“Once they come into our program that frees the parent up to be able to go after those goals and their wishes and their dreams as well, which could include getting a job and having a better successful life for them,” she said.
Head Start is a free program, but parents will be asked to engage in their children’s learning at home. Some centers and services have a waiting list, but call to ask.
A 2023 Biden Executive Order required Head Start Programs to pay teachers higher salaries that match those of teachers in public schools.