The Problem
Quality, full-time infant care is out of reach for many Texas parents at over $18k per child per year – more than the annual wages of a minimum wage worker!
Teacher wages is the largest line-item on childcare centers’ budgets, yet many are on government assistance themselves.
Texas has a staggering $1,000,000,000+ childcare subsidy budget to support these parents. Yet Texas still faces nearly 100,000 parents on waitlists and a critical shortage of childcare workers. Even then, the waitlist only represents 10% of eligible parents.
The childcare industry’s math simply doesn’t work.
Our Solution
Project One Day is an innovative childcare model in which parents volunteer, transforming childcare subsidy waitlists into a workforce pipeline.
Parents volunteer one day a week in the classroom alongside experienced Lead Educators. In exchange, parents receive a scholarship for 50 hours/wk of high-quality care.
This gives the parents 40 hours per week to pursue work or education. Plus, parents gain skills that not only fill the childcare staffing gap, but help them provide higher-quality care at home.
Everyone benefits: parents, children, employers and entire communities.
The True Cost Of Childcare
One full-time minimum-wage employee in Houston makes $15,080 a year. Full-time, quality infant care in Houston costs around $18,000 per child annually, with several charging in excess of $20,000 per year.
| Childcare Center | Infant | Pre-Toddler |
|---|---|---|
| Primrose | $25,170 | $23,350 |
| Kido | $24,400 | $22,300 |
| The Little School | $21,500 | $21,500 |
| Village Preschool | $20,100 | $19,800 |
| Celebree | $18,400 | $17,880 |
| Westbury Baptist Day School | $16,475 | $16,475 |
| Kids R Kids | $15,230 | $14,710 |
| Kindercare Sharpstown | $14,820 | $13,100 |
Want to learn more about the cost of childcare in your state? Use the CostOfChildCare.org online calculator to learn the true cost of childcare, where the money goes, and why programs cost so much.
Why is childcare so expensive?
Teacher wages
You may think facilities and operations are the largest expense of childcare centers, but it is teachers’ wages. Due to meeting the classroom ratios required by state licensing many childcare centers require large staffing budgets, which results in high tuition costs.
Extra fees
Childcare centers often list their "tuition" rates separate from their other fees, such as enrollment, facility, and supply fees.
Higher infant costs
Due to the higher teacher to child ratio required in infant rooms, childcare centers charge even higher tuition for infants.
Overtime fees
Many centers consider "full-time" infant care to be only 6 hours a day (30 hours/ wk) which won't support parents' full-time employment. Centers charge overtime if parents go beyond that.
No child should miss out on early learning because of a labor shortage or inadequate subsidy system... especially when parents want to work and help!
How The One Day Model Works
Step 1
Parents complete an interview, enrollment forms, and 30 hours of online childcare training.
Step 2
Parents undergo a background check including fingerprints and once approved join the waitlist.
Step 3
Once a spot opens up parents volunteer one day each week (M-F) alongside an experienced educator, in exchange for 5 days a week tuition-free childcare!
See the Results
Parents can work or finish school, staffing gaps are filled, and children are invested in during the most critical years of their development.
Solution: The One Day Model
Project One Day invites parents with low incomes to undergo childcare worker training. Parents volunteer ONE DAY per week as Assistant Educators to receive a scholarship for M-F childcare. The result is 40 hours per week of QUALITY care at half the cost.
Childcare Center Annual Cost
Primrose
Infant: $25,170
Pre-Toddler: 23,350
Kido
Infant: $24,400
Pre-Toddler: 22,300
The Little School
Infant: $21,500
Pre-Toddler: 21,500
Village Preschool
Infant: $20,100
Pre-Toddler: 19,800
Celebree
Infant: $18,400
Pre-Toddler: 17,880
Westbury Baptist Day School
Infant: $16,475
Pre-Toddler: 16,475
Kids R Kids
Infant: $15,230
Pre-Toddler: 14,710
Kindercare Sharptown
Infant: $14,820
Pre-Toddler: 13,100
See how Project One Day compares to other childcare options.
This model fills staffing gaps with trained parents.This model fills staffing gaps with trained parents.
Parents become part of the workforce, reducing the hiring strain most providers face.
It’s more cost-effective than subsidies alone.
It’s more cost-effective than subsidies alone.
At $9,000 per child per year, the cost is lower than average subsidy rates and doesn’t rely on expanding government spending.
It turns the waitlist into the workforce.
It turns the waitlist into the workforce.
Instead of families sitting idle on a list, they contribute and benefit immediately.
It scales with flexibilityIt scales with flexibility
Churches, schools, and nonprofits can replicate this model in high-need areas using existing infrastructure.
See how Project One Day compares to other childcare options.
This model fills staffing gaps with trained parents.
Parents become part of the workforce, reducing the hiring strain most providers face.
It’s more cost-effective than subsidies alone.
At $9,000 per child per year, the cost is lower than average subsidy rates and doesn’t rely on expanding government spending.
It turns the waitlist into the workforce.
Instead of families sitting idle on a list, they contribute and benefit immediately.
It scales with flexibility.
Churches, schools, and nonprofits can replicate this model in high-need areas using existing infrastructure.
How can you help to expand this model?
Children don’t stop growing while their parents are on waitlists. We have to act now to expand this model across Texas so more parents have access to high-quality childcare.
Take action for Texas families.
The One Day model is a win for everyone: parents, children, policymakers, employers, taxpayers, and entire communities. We need your support to expand this model across Texas and beyond.
With thousands of families on childcare waitlists, there’s no time to waste.
