As the childcare crisis grows so does the mission of a North Texas charity.
Annie’s Place started so that no parent has to choose between their health or childcare.
NBC5’s Katy Blakey sat down with their new CEO about meeting the need.
Laura Rhoden understands the difficult choice facing too many families.
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“We feel at Annie’s Place that no parent should have to choose between their well-being and the care of their child," said Rhoden. "That’s just something that shouldn’t be happening and it’s a huge part of the childcare crisis that we face right now.
The non-profit started by providing free in-home nannies to parents facing a health crisis. Then, opened a daycare facility for people visiting Parkland Hospital.
“It’s not just for critical care now. It’s for preventative. It’s for regular medical appointments," Rhoden said.
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Annie’s Place research shows 55% of parents cite a lack of childcare as the primary reason for missing appointments – more than a lack of transportation or insurance.
Rhoden says when that need is met it can save lives.
“A mother came up and told me that that was the first time she’d ever been able to complete her chemotherapy – which is huge. So talk about positive health outcomes - childcare is interlocked with that,” Rhoden said.
To date, the charity has served more than 1,500 families, helped parents keep more than 15,000 medical appointments and provided 59,000 hours of childcare.
Now entering their tenth year, they’ve expanded childcare to medical workers at Parkland Hospital and Children’s Medical Center after learning too many nurses and staff faced a lack of reliable options on weekends.
“We stepped in and said – we want our patients to be able to go to appointments – but if the healthcare worker isn’t there to provide the care our patient can’t be served," Rhoden said.
Rhoden hopes it is a blueprint for future partnerships.
“For us it’s awareness – to get out there and provide this to more hospital partners so more patients can know what we do,” Rhoden said. “Childcare is obviously an issue and it’s an issue whether you’re a low wage earner or a high wage earner and that’s where Annie’s Place comes in.”
To donate or learn more about the services Annie's Place provides, visit here.
