Greater Austin Area Resources
There are several ways in which employers can respond to the needs of their employees and offer innovative family-friendly supports.
Menu of Resources
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Resources for employers
Employee and HR supports
For key steps employers can take to implement family-friendly workplace policies in the context of COVID-19 click here
Here are sample survey questions to incorporate into your next cultural survey, which will help reveal insights related to potential child care supports that could benefit your employees and your business.
Click here for 3 easy steps for setting up a FSA to help employees pay for child care.
Click here for the Best Place for Working Parents® Child Care Toolkit.
Employer Roadmap: Child care solutions for working parents from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Austin Public Health (APH) can help you transition to a mother-friendly worksite through free technical assistance. Additionally, APH offers the Chronic Disease Prevention Mini-Grant opportunity. These competitive mini-grants of up to $2,500 support healthy nutrition, mother-friendly, physical activity, or tobacco prevention projects at workplaces and other locations. Contact (512) 972-6472 or click here.
Tips and resources for providing on-site lactation support.
Distribute this helpful handout in English and Spanish about the child care portal to help your employees find child care.
Community engagement
Good Work Austin is creating a supportive environment for employers who want to do the right thing for their workers, the economy, and the environment. They’ve created a restaurant re-opening agreement to help guests "dine with confidence.” They also provide small businesses with access to low-cost health care and counseling options for their staff, as well as a community of business owners to share resources and support. Click here to learn more.
Looking for ways to give back and lend a hand in your community? Click here to learn about volunteer opportunities through the United Way for Greater Austin.
Supports for employees
Information Hotlines
United Way for Greater Austin Family Resource Page: UWATX has created a space where parents can find answers to some of their most pressing questions. The bilingual Austin Family Resource Page contains resources where folks can learn about early childhood from pregnancy through Kindergarten to support how kids develop, sleep, and play. Visit AustinFamilyResources.org to get started.
Los padres nuevos frecuentemente se encuentran en un torbellino de preguntas. Aunque aún no existe un libro sobre cómo ser el padre perfecto, hemos creado un espacio donde los padres pueden encontrar respuestas para algunas de sus preguntas más importantes. Aprenda sobre la infancia desde el embarazo hasta el kinder y así saber cómo apoyar a los niños durante su desarrollo, y mientras duermen y juegan. Visite RecursosFamiliaresAustin.org para empezar.
Call the 2-1-1 Navigation Center to speak to a compassionate, certified specialist who will connect you to community resources.
ConnectATX.org connects you to local resources in multiple language. For the complete list of resources click here or below or call/llamando 1 (833) 512-CATX.
Lactation and Birthing Support
Providing on-site lactation support is good for moms and good for business. Click here for a list of local lactation resources for moms and tips for creating a supportive breastfeeding environment in your office.
Mama Sana provides free pregnancy, birth, and postpartum support to people of color in the Austin area.
Parenting Supports
Bright By Text is a free texting service that sends timely resources, simple encouragements and supports for caregivers of kids ages 0-8 right to your cell phone. Sign up here or text the keyword SMARTATX to 274448.
Click here for Austin Public Health’s guidance for parents and employers impacted by COVID-19 child care disruptions.
The Austin Diaper Bank provides temporary assistance with diapers and period supplies. Click here to learn more.
Partners in Parenting (PIP) improves the well-being of Austin’s new parents so they are confident, connected, and have the tools to blossom into their full potential. PIP believes that we build the foundation for healthy families by supporting parents in this early phase of parenthood. All new parents are welcome. Click here to learn more. Info in English and Spanish.
Are you stressed or overwhelmed at home with your kids trying to balance work, child care and self-care? Do you want to talk to someone about what realistic expectations for your family could look like during these unprecedented times? The Family and Youth Service Program wants to help. Click here to learn more.
Does your child have a disability? VELA helps families navigate diagnosis, resources, therapies and/or special education? All programming is in Spanish or English and available virtually. There are no income, age or zip code restrictions.
Domestic violence support
SAFELine provides assistance for domestic violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, child abuse and those in need of parenting support. To talk with a trained advocate call SAFEline at 512.267.SAFE (7233), text at 737.888.7233, or chat online at safeaustin.org/chat. Para en Espanol.
Food Access
You access food through the Central Texas Food Bank pantries and mobile food distributions. Click here and go to “Find Food Now”. Once you find the distribution site nearest you, call to confirm their hours of operation.
Financial empowerment resources
Understanding the Child Tax Credit
Share this helpful handout in English and Spanish with your workforce about the Child Tax Credit.
Post the Help is Here - Checks for Kids Flyer in English and Spanish in high traffic areas.
What do families need to do to receive payments?
If families filed their 2020 taxes this year or filed 2019 taxes last year, or used the IRS “Non-Filer Portal” to get a stimulus check last year, they don’t need to do anything. If they didn’t file taxes in the last 2 years they can use the IRS Non-Filer tool.
Use this calculator to find out how much you could receive under the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.
This helpful handout outlines the difference between the CTC and the Child and Dependent Tax Credit and who is eligible for each.
Tax Filing
Foundation Communities is providing free tax help. Share this handout in English and Spanish about free tax prep help through Foundation Communities.
Financial Coaching
Money management classes are offered through Business and Community Lenders (BCL). Click here to learn more or call 512-912-9884.
SCORE provides free business mentoring and education for small business owners. Click here to learn more or call 512-928-2425.
College Hub through Foundation Communities provides free help to prospective and current college students. Services include one-on-one with a college coach to apply for college, enroll in classes, explore degree pathways, and help with financial aid and scholarship applications. To schedule an appointment to work with a coach by phone, click here, email collegehub@foundcom.org, or call 512-610-4012.
Accessing child care and pre-K
Finding available child care
Information about open, licensed child care for you employees is available through the Texas’ Child Care Portal. Click here to search providers.
Need financial assistance? See if you qualify and apply by visiting your local Workforce Solutions’ website.
Headstart
Child Inc. operates 16 Head Start development centers throughout Austin. They also offer a limited Early Head Start services for children birth to age 3.
Austin ISD offers full-day Head Start programming for 3-year-olds. For information about enrollment eligibility call 512-414-4752.
Williamson & Burnet Counties Head Start: Learn about opportunities to access Williamson & Burnet Counties Head Start and Early Head Start at 12 locations.
Do you have a child with special needs? Visit TX Child Care Services & Children with Disabilities.
Back-Up Care and In-Home Child care
Public Pre-K Enrollment Info
Find available high-quality Pre-K here the through United Way for Greater Austin and AISD’s Pre-K Partnerships.
Learn about Public PreK in Austin through this video from APH.
Austin ISD and Round Rock ISD both offer PreK for 3-and 4-year-olds including PreK Partnerships with local child care centers. For more info: Austin ISD and Round Rock ISD.
Click here for contact info on your central TX school district (English and Spanish available).
Resources for children
It is important to keep children engaged and learning year-round, especially in the summer months when they are out of school. Austin PBS Kids has some incredible free resources for caregivers to plan hands-on activities and games that are not only fun but sparks children’s curiosity, creativity and supports literacy, math, science, and life skills.
Access PBS Kids Learning at Home Resources in here in English and acui en Espanol.
Austin Public Library Youth Services can be found here.
It’s never to early to help your child learn - talk, read and sing together every single day. Click here to learn more about your baby and their developmental milestones.
Receive free children’s books. Books Beginning at Birth is a statewide program that provides young children birth to age 4 and their families access to books and resources to support the development of early literacy skills and foster a love of reading.