SAN ANTONIO – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced a new initiative aimed at helping parents working at the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.
Abbott said the Care.com initiative will give 90 days of free access to their premium membership, which includes in-home child care.
Recommended Videos
Starting Monday, families and prospective caregivers can enroll online, create job posts and profiles and connect, according to Care.com. While the childcare is not free, it does waive certain fees for the frontline workers.
“The Texas portal gives residents the ability to waive their fees and volunteer as caregivers, providing additional support to frontline workers,” a Care.com release states.
The program is exclusively for frontline employees needing child care outside normal business hours or with special needs, the release states.
Frontline workers include all essential jobs including first-responders and those in healthcare, sanitation or grocery stores, according to the release.
Parents will first need to provide their place of work and ZIP code to create an account. To apply for childcare or to apply as a child sitter, click here.
“This Care.com initiative will provide an additional avenue of support for our frontline workers throughout the COVID-19 response,” Abbott said in a news release. “I am grateful for Care.com’s commitment to ensuring accessible child care is available to Texans fulfilling essential services during this time.”
NEISD librarians make 3D face shields for healthcare workers
COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.