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Nonprofit offers financial assistance for childcare for essential workers

Workforce Solutions Capital Area said this response comes at the request of Gov. Greg Abbott.

AUSTIN, Texas — Workforce Solutions Capital Area is offering financial assistance for childcare for essential workers.

"We are in unprecedented times," said Tamara Atkinson, the CEO of Workforce Solutions Capital Area. "We know that our critical, first responder industries are being called upon to have their workers work really around the clock, and with the schools being closed through the end of the school year, some of them through summer, we know that our workers need to have access to reliable, quality childcare."

Atkinson said this is part of the nonprofit's response to COVID-19.

"We are committing to pay for 100% of that subsidy for all of those who are enrolled for at least three months, and there's a potential for more depending on the role of the essential worker and how long we continue to be in this COVID-19 situation," said Atkinson. "But we are here to support the community and see that the workers can focus on doing their jobs. We’ll help to take care of their children."

Atkinson said they are working to make it as easy as possible for essential workers to access this resource. 

There is a childcare services section of the Workforce Solutions Capital Area website. In the drop-down menu, under "COVID-19 Resources for Providers & Parents," there is information on who can apply and the application that needs to be filled out. 

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Atkinson said once someone applies, the turnaround response will be less than a week.

"This is a way that we ensure that those first responders who are really critical in our community can have their families taken care of, so they can focus on helping the rest of the community," she said. 

Atkinson said this response comes at the request of Gov. Greg Abbott.

"We’ve been asked by the governor to work as quickly as possible, and we are stepping up to meet that challenge. We have a team of staff that are calling childcare providers every week to make sure that they’re still open and can receive new children," said Atkinson, who said the money to support this resource comes from state and federal funding. 

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