Tarrant County Commissioners have approved $767,870 in CARES Act funding to provide childcare for students who are taking virtual classes while parents need to work.
The program will begin Sept. 8 and Tarrant County pays $170 a week per child while the parent pays $30. Scholarships are available to parents who cannot afford the $30 fee.
Four agencies have joined to offer the services: Clayton Youth Enrichment, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Tarrant County, Girls Inc. of Tarrant County and YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth.
“Several nonprofits saw the need. Families whose school buildings are closed, but school is going on needed a solution,” Clayton Youth Enrichment CEO Jason Ray said. “We know it’s a need and you can be someone who has a job, but you don’t have the hundreds of dollars that it can cost for a week of childcare unplanned.”
Ray said PPE will be provided at the locations which will be open from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. during the school week.
“If I’m at home alone doing my school work, I’m missing out on a big part of my development as a child,” Ray said. “These kids are going to get the benefit of being in these small groups of kids, interacting as well as doing their lessons and receiving the interacting with the enrichment program.”
The group hopes the City of Fort Worth will approve funding for the program as well.
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