“We want to make sure our families have peace of mind when they’re working,” said Felicia Miller, Parkland’s executive vice president and chief talent officer.
Children’s Health has taken a similar approach, offering backup childcare, preferred enrollment arrangements and paid parental leave as part of a broader strategy to support working families.
“We look at childcare and family support as a workforce strategy and not just a benefit,” said Analisa Eaton, vice president of total rewards at Children’s Health.
Texas Mutual Insurance took a different route.
The insurer initially became interested in childcare after losing employees to a competitor that offered on-site childcare. The company eventually expanded a partnership with a childcare provider at its Austin headquarters and encouraged the center to pursue Texas Rising Star certification and accept children receiving state childcare subsidies.
“It was purely competitive at that time,” Texas Mutual President and CEO Jeanette Ward said. “I don’t want to lose any more employees.”
Pre-K enrollment as childcare solution
Beyond employer programs, local officials are also exploring policy solutions.
Jenkins also pointed to efforts to increase enrollment in public prekindergarten programs. Dallas County currently has about 27,000 children enrolled in pre-K programs, despite roughly 51,000 children being eligible.
Getting more three- and four-year-olds into school-based pre-K, he argued, could improve kindergarten readiness while freeing up childcare resources for infants and toddlers, who are typically more expensive to care for.
The speakers acknowledged there is no single solution to the childcare shortage. But they repeatedly returned to the same conclusion that improving access to childcare is essential for supporting workers, strengthening businesses, and preparing the next generation of Texans for success.
This reporting is part of the Future of North Texas, a community-funded journalism initiative supported by the Commit Partnership, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Lisa and Charles Siegel, the McCune-Losinger Family Fund, The Meadows Foundation, the Perot Foundation, the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the University of Texas at Dallas. The News retains full editorial control of this coverage.