Tarrant County needs about 2,000 more early childhood educators to fully staff existing child care centers.
That shortage makes it harder for parents — especially mothers — to work, according to a new study analyzing North Texas’ child care workforce released Wednesday. Child Care Associates and the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center’s study examined how early educators are key to strengthening North Texas’ economy and what is contributing to the shortage of such teachers in an industry long languishing with low wages and high costs.
“Our early educators not only spark a young child’s natural sense of wonder and curiosity but also empower parents to participate in the workforce,” Kara Waddell, Child Care Associates president and CEO, said in a statement. “Their work fuels every other industry impacting our region’s economic growth.”
Other Tarrant County takeaways from the study:
- 13,368 child care seats are open.
- $33,801 is the average early educator wage — $15,828 less than the local living wage of $49,629.
- 74% of children from birth to age 5 with working parents could be served with early childhood education if centers were fully staffed.
Turning around the child care industry starts with higher education, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said in a statement.
“We need higher education at the table as well as business leaders and organizations like Child Care Associates,” Parker said. “We need strategies not just in Fort Worth, but across North Texas to ensure our youngest Texans benefit from quality educators, and to ensure employers and working parents have the support of the child care sector.”
Tarrant County College officials plan to introduce a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education program in fall 2026. Earlier this year, TCC leaders said the degree is needed to meet North Texas’ growing demand for child care.
The study will go a long way toward building sustainable solutions for the region’s early child care workforce, said Cynthia Osborne, executive director of the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center.
“Through our analysis for Child Care Associates, we were able to provide a clearer picture of the region’s child care supply and workforce needs — insights that can guide strategies to strengthen the system and better support children, families and educators across North Texas,” Osborne said.
Jacob Sanchez is education editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or @_jacob_sanchez.
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