Access to high-quality, affordable childcare allows parents to focus on advancing their careers. It also provides young children with early education opportunities that support their development. When families struggle to find stable childcare, their employment, finances, education, and housing can suffer.
Arlington Thrive’s childcare program assists eligible local families by providing coordinated support. This support ranges from helping parents identify quality providers to helping them access the childcare subsidy, and bridging the gap by covering additional fees. Thus, parents can thrive in work and school while raising their families with confidence.
Childcare Enables Parents to Work
Dependable, affordable childcare is essential for parents to maintain stable employment. Without consistent care for their children, many parents struggle to remain employed.
Parents without stable childcare arrangements are more likely to experience disruptions in their work schedules. Missed days, reduced hours, and losing jobs due to childcare breakdowns all negatively impact families.
By contrast, the financial benefits of steady employment empower families to afford basic necessities. Parents with stable childcare are also able to pursue professional goals like higher education or specialized training. Reliable childcare is often the critical ingredient that allows parents to achieve financial security for themselves and their children.
Many Arlington Families Rely on Our Childcare Program
Imagine fleeing your home country with eight children, which is what happened to Gul, a single mother who speaks little English and heads a household of nine. Half of Gul’s children were too young for school and her family was living in a shelter when they arrived in Arlington. Thanks to our generous donors, Thrive’s childcare program came to Gul’s aid during this difficult transition. With her young children enrolled in a safe, nurturing childcare center, Thrive’s Community Navigator was able to help Gul find a job and transition her family to a stable home. Access to childcare marked a significant turning point for Gul’s family, providing the support and stability for Gul to build a new life in Arlington.
Stories like Gul’s demonstrate how critical childcare access is for Arlington families working to build better lives. By providing subsidized care to families in need, Thrive’s childcare program enables parents like Gul to secure employment, further their education, and raise their children in safe, nurturing environments. Our community is stronger when programs exist to help families access the childcare they desperately need.
Accessibility Is Key
Arlington Thrive carefully considers proximity and accessibility when placing families with childcare centers. When centers are too far away, requiring long commutes via public transportation or driving, it becomes extremely difficult for parents to get their children to care consistently. As client stories show, some parents face bus rides over an hour each way when centers are not nearby. This situation quickly becomes untenable, causing children to miss school and parents to miss work. With such long commutes, families lose jobs, children fall behind educationally, and the entire household suffers.
By partnering with centers throughout Arlington County, Thrive is able to match families with facilities close to their homes or places of employment. For example, our Childcare Coordinator assisted a client named Eva by securing spots for her children at a center within walking distance of their home. Now Eva doesn’t have to endure long bus rides across the county and can easily get her kids to school each morning before work. Proximity was also critical for Isioma, as Thrive helped place her infant at a partner center only 10 minutes from home. Access to affordable, convenient childcare allowed Isioma to continue to pursue her healthcare career goals. Through strategic partnerships and countywide presence, Thrive ensures parents have access to care near where they live and work. Removing the commute barrier enables consistent attendance so children reap the full benefits while parents maintain employment.
Conclusion
Access to high-quality, affordable childcare is critical for Arlington families. When parents have safe, nurturing care for their children, they can focus on pursuing work and education goals that lead to greater financial stability. For children, quality childcare centers provide safety, healthy development, and early education. This prepares them for success in school and beyond.
That’s why Arlington Thrive’s childcare program is so vital for elevating families in our community. We help parents identify appropriate care, assist with applications and paperwork, subsidize fees, and collaborate with high-quality local centers. Our services enable parents like Gul, Isioma and Eva to place their children in nearby centers while pursuing work and education. With this essential care in place, they can focus on achieving financial security and stability for their families.
