Child-care assistance program offered

By Breana Starks
TC News Reporter

Texarkana College has partnered with Northeast Texas Workforce Solutions to help students further their education by offering child-care assistance to enrolled students.

To qualify for the child-care program, a one-parent household student must attend college at least 25 hours per week and must qualify with a certain financial income. Two-parent household students must work and attend college at least 50 hours per week grossing under $3,000 financial income. Students with a family size as large as eight may still qualify for assistance if the gross income is less than $6,000. Students must also live in the following counties:

• Bowie
• Cass
• Delta
• Franklin
• Hopkins
• Lamen
• Morris
• Red River
• Titus

If the student meets the qualifications, they then have to report to the Workforce Solutions Center and complete paperwork routinely.

According to Suzy Irwin, Director of Institutional Advancement, there are 50 eligible day cares in Bowie County, and four in Cass County that participate in the program.

Irwin said TC’s Institutional Effectiveness Office conducted a survey of students, which determined that having access to affordable child care is one of the highest ranking barriers amongst students when it comes to persistence and completion of their educational goals.

For more information, contact Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas at 903-794-8999.