Texas Workforce Commission gives child care help to employers who need solutions
The Texas Workforce Commission is providing assistance to employers who want to help meet the child care needs of their employees.
The state agency announced its Employer Child Care Solutions initiative on Monday, encouraging employers to apply with the greater goal of enhancing the Texas workforce. Technical assistance will be provided to employers to help them facilitate child care solutions at or near their workplaces. This includes learning what resources their employees need, exploring how to work with a child care provider to offer site-based child care, and considering creation of an employer-supported program.
Employers will receive support services such as employee needs assessments, feasibility and cost analysis studies, and business plan development.
“The new Employer Child Care Solutions initiative is about bringing folks together to help working families find affordable, quality child care,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Alberto Treviño III. “When parents have reliable child care, they can focus on their jobs, provide for their families, and keep our Texas economy strong.”
Services will be provided to employers on a first-come, first-served basis. Employers don’t have to be based in Texas but must have employees who work in Texas. Officials noted that funding will not be provided through the initiative, only technical assistance. TWC officials told the Star-Telegram it is anticipated that up to 100 employers could be served through the initiative. Processing approving requests from employers will take four to six weeks depending on the demand.
“The Employer Child Care Solutions initiative is currently funded for the 2026 state fiscal year (Sept. 1, 2025 – Aug. 31, 2026). The Commission considers what statewide initiatives to fund annually, based on a number of factors, including availability of funding, state and federal requirements, Commission priorities, and the impact and outcomes of previously funded initiatives,” TWC officials said in a statement.
A U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation study found the Texas economy loses about $9.4 billion annually due to child care obstacles faced by working parents. A coalition of Texas businesses known as the Employers for Childcare Task Force advocated for child care reform ahead of the 2025 regular legislative session, underscoring issues of turnover and understaffing due to a lack of accessible, affordable and quality child care. Notable legislation approved by lawmakers included $100 million in additional funding for state child care subsidies and removing red tape from child care homes and family-based care.
Kelsey Erickson Streufert, chief public affairs officer for the Texas Restaurant Association and co-founder of the Employers for Childcare Task Force, noted in a statement that the lack of quality, affordable child care hurts local businesses and families every day. She voiced appreciation of the new program coming forward.
“We launched the Employers for Childcare Task Force before the 2025 legislative session because employers want to step up and not only implement solutions but also help develop solutions that will work across our economy. We’re grateful to the Texas Workforce Commission for creating a new tool to help local employers in this process. Especially for small businesses like restaurants, the technical assistance offered by the Employer Child Care Solutions initiative could become a lifeline in an otherwise overwhelming journey to help employees access child care,” Erickson Streufert said.
“The Employers for Childcare Task Force is eager to build on this progress over the interim when a new governor’s task force, the Sunset Commission, and a new quad-agency commission will each have important opportunities to evaluate our current system and recommend reforms,” she added.
Steve Montgomery, president and CEO of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement on Monday that the TWC initiative “represents a significant opportunity for our local Fort Worth businesses.”
“Access to quality child care is directly tied to workforce participation and talent retention — challenges facing nearly every industry sector today,” Montgomery said. “I commend the Texas Workforce Commission for taking action on this critical issue, and the Fort Worth Chamber looks forward to supporting efforts that connect local employers and families to the resources they need.”
Kara Waddell, CEO and president of Fort Worth-based Child Care Associates, underscored in a statement that a lack of affordable child care is an economic development issue in addition to a family or an education issue, noting recent upticks in women leaving the workforce.
“We’ve had local employers wanting to be a part of a solution, but they haven’t known exactly how best to approach it. We’re appreciative of the Texas Workforce Commission taking steps to support employers who want to support their employees in accessing affordable child care, and hope that employers across the region can take advantage of this new resource,” Waddell said.
Employers can request guidance through the initiative on the TWC Employer Child Care Solutions webpage.
“The Employer Child Care Solutions initiative is a valuable resource that can help employers unlock even greater prosperity for our Texas economy,” said TWC Commissioner Representing the Public Brent Connett. “By partnering with businesses, we’re empowering working families to thrive, fueling workforce participation, and building a stronger Texas economy for generations to come.”
This story was originally published October 20, 2025 at 4:14 PM.
