Press
HOUSTON (Oct. 30, 2017) – The local nonprofit organization Collaborative for Children has released a new and improved child care database and free online search application at www.FindChildCareNow.org. The online tool features state-of-the-art mapping and filtering functionality that allows parents to search for child care, filter results by a variety of criteria, and compare child care programs.
All licensed or registered child care programs in the 13 counties of the Greater Houston region are included in the searchable database. Results for each child care program include detailed information on services provided, quality rating information and links to the state’s license report on the provider.
“With so many Houston families having primary caregivers in the workforce, it is imperative for families to feel confident in the child care providers they choose to care for their children during the work day,” says Carol Shattuck, president and CEO of Collaborative for Children.
“Finding child care is one of the most important decisions a parent will make, and our new child care search application is designed not only to make that process easier but also to provide families with the very important information on child care quality they need to make a confident decision in their child care selection,” she says.
Now in its 30th year, Collaborative for Children had its inception in Initiatives for Children, which was formed in 1987 to assist Houston families with an increasing number of mothers in the workplace in finding child care. Through the years, the organization’s work has expanded to include numerous initiatives aimed at improving the quality of child care provided in our region, but its commitment to helping families find child care has remained.
“Research shows that high-quality early childhood education is critically important to a young child’s brain development, and contributes to a child’s success in school and later in life,” Shattuck says. “We know families need to find reliable and affordable child care, and we want to help them find high quality child care as well so that all Houston children can enter kindergarten ready to succeed. That’s important not only to Houston families but also to our future as a community,” she says.
The www.FindChildCareNow.org searchable database is available in English and in Spanish and is also accessible through the Collaborative for Children website.
