Childhood Education & Family Services

$21.3 Million in ARPA Funding

Child Care and Development - $17.4 Million

Child Care Services provided financial assistance to childcare service providers that improve the quality of early care and education programs for young and school-age children.

The City allocated $17.4 million in ARPA funds to childcare service providers that supported the workers and their families, who were disproportionately affected by the impact of COVID-19 on the local community.

The funding was provided to:

• Incentivize and fund childcare service providers to extend their operating hours to accommodate frontline / emergency service workers

Head Start - $3.9 Million

The City of San Antonio Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide high quality early childhood education and comprehensive social services to eligible children and their families. ARPA funds used to augment this program have been exhausted. DHS Head Start utilized ARPA funds to:

• Enhance family programming
• Promote the program
• Renovate facilities

Enhanced family programming included investments in:

• Mindfulness and literacy focused parent engagement activities
• Wellness activities, through added yoga and meditation rooms, upgraded exercise equipment and furniture, and air purifiers for shared spaces
• Retention stipends for partner Head Start, Early Head Start and Early Head Start Child Care Partnership staff

Program promotion investments included:

• Hiring temporary recruitment staff
• Increased spending in advertising and recruitment materials
• Technology upgrades to include an audio-visual upgrade in meeting rooms and an intercom system at the front entrance for security

Renovations to the Brady Administrative Building included:

• Replacement of HVAC system
• Repaving and grading of the facility parking lot

Renovations to the Head Start, Early Head Start, and Early Head Start Child Care Partnership sites included:

• Roof repairs
• HVAC upgrades
• Playground improvements