Daycare options narrow for East Texas parents ahead of school year

ATHENS, Texas ( KETK ) — As parents finalize their family’s back-to-school plans, a childcare shortage is only compounding the stress for many East Texas parents.

“There’s a lot of waitlists for every daycare, my niece was on one.” Calli Fetterman, an Athens parent said. “You can’t put a price on childcare, you just can’t.”

A report from “ Child Care Aware of America ” revealed that 16,000 childcare providers shut down during the pandemic. The U.S. labor numbers also show more than 100,000 workers left the industry, making it increasingly difficult for parents to find childcare.

“I don’t know of any center around here that does not have a waiting list,” Kim Walker, owner and director of Mimi’s Creative Kids Learning Center said. “Henderson County is what they call a desert area. We do not have enough daycare centers or learning centers for the number of kids we need in care.”

Walker recommends visiting more than one place and reading each childcare’s handbook and urging parents to visit the facilities themselves before finalizing a decision.

“You need to read that because that has every kind of requirement that every facility has,” Walker said. “I would go in a class, I would want to see the classrooms and see how they operate. See how they are set up. Do they seem like they’re safe? Do they have a happy atmosphere that the kids would have fun in?”

Walker advises parents to figure their family’s expectations to help narrow down the search and find the daycare center best suited for them.

“Every daycare has good and bad, it just depends on what fits your life,” said Walker. “What you’re needing at that moment, what might fit you today might not fit you today or tomorrow.

Following these steps can help parents find a facility they can trust for their children.

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