Workforce Solutions, which is part of the Texas Workforce Commission, provides workers with professional development and child care assistance. According to the agency, it served more than 4,900 children in 2023, including at licensed centers and homes.

Still, it had over 5,000 children on its waitlist as of July, Lawson said. Roughly 40% of the waitlist was comprised of children under the age of three, indicating a higher demand for child care for infants and toddlers. In a survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 55% of parents who voluntarily left their jobs did so when their kids were two years old or younger.

 

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