Child care services available for El Paso parents returning to work after pandemic

EL PASO, Texas -- The unemployment rates dropped below 7 percent in April in El Paso, a good sign for the workforce. But, many working parents are now having to readjust as many make their physical return to the office.

Workforce Solutions Borderplex is encouraging parents to apply for childcare services.

"This shift in the pandemic required a lot of individuals especially women to adjust their lifestyles to start working from home to figure out situations with childcare to just kind of throw everything up in the air," spokesperson Bianca Cervantes said. "We are doing our best at Workforce Solutions to provide more of those services that are going to assist individuals and getting back to work."

The Texas Workforce Commission was able distribute $790 million this month for child care providers across the state including here in El Paso. 

Those funds can help these providers expand their capacity and welcome more kids inside their centers. Workforce Solutions Borderplex has dozens of child care service partners to help working parents take in their kids while they head to work, including the YWCA. 

Another option, especially for grandparents who don't necessarily want to go back to work but still want to make money, is the Relative Care Program. 

"We encourage those who are seeking childcare services to consider their relatives, mothers and sisters, to be the child caretaker for that family and Workforce Solutions Borderplex will actually pay that child care worker as a licensed childcare professional to take care of the (kids)," Cervantes said. "So there's so many different options that you have when it comes to childcare."

To apply, click here.