SNOOK, Texas — El Castillo Learning Center is the newest and one of the only local daycare centers in Snook, and it's helping parents find childcare just within its first week of opening.
- Parents in central Texas are struggling to find affordable childcare, especially in rural counties.
- The number of childcare programs shrank 27%, according to the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children.
- According to the director of the center, Norma Lopez, El Castillo Learning Center is one of the only local daycare centers in Snook.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
When Kimberly Gould drops off her daughter at El Castillo Learning Center, she know she's in good hands.
But it wasn't easy finding a local, affordable daycare center.
"Childcare in the College Station area range between, for my daughter who is two, between $1200 to $1800 a month, and that was for one child," Gould said.
It's a struggle many parents are facing in central Texas.
According to the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children, the state has 27% fewer child care programs because of factors like limited staffing.
The program is worsened in rural communities, forcing parents to enter wait lists.
"My sister just had a baby, so my sister was in the need of childcare as well. My mom helps with the baby, but it's not like the same, so she was like 'Hey, why don't we open a daycare? They don't have a daycare in Snook,'" Director Norma Lopez said.
But still, Lopez says there is limited space.
"It is a small center, so the ratios are pretty small," she said.
There, Gould's daughter, is getting meals, practicing counting and the alphabet and even playtime, and it's giving her a peace of mind.
"When I leave my child here, I go home, and I just feel so confident that's she's going to be loved, that she's within this community. We also get to meet more people in the community, more children in the community," she said.
If you want to sign your child up, you can visit the center Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
