COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Over the years, the number of U.S. pregnancies has increased. As a result, baby formula shortages and the need for childcare has left some parents in dire need of extra resources.
Peas in a Pod, a daycare learning center in College Station, has tips on how parents can find some relief to the high childcare costs. As Director Stephanie Shoemake explained, there are many resources that are government-funded and available to parents struggling.
"All they have to do is tell me they need help and apply for the program. One of the biggest helps, I would say locally for parents, is the Texas Workforce which offers some funding through the childcare services office and it offers really big discounts for families that qualify," Shoemake said.
Last year, the Texas Workforce Commission distributed over 2 billion dollars, through the American Rescue Plan. The plan is for direct relief to childcare programs like Peas in a Pod. According to a Fortune report, the average annual childcare cost rose by 41 percent.
The plan has allowed parents to receive twelve months of discounts on childcare in low-income parent homes.
The local daycare's goal is to make things easier for parents by offering various programs to apply for and monthly discounts. Shoemake said it's going to take the extra mile because it's still a struggle, despite the amount of help available.
"There's childcare funding, there's food funding, but parents are still struggling. So I've developed a way they can apply for different things", said Shoemake.
Shoemake told KAGS,she felt as a believer of Christ that it was only right to offer help to the community during these times.