Schools across Texas are closed until April 3 following orders from Gov. Greg Abbott, leaving many parents who are still working during the coronavirus outbreak with limited options for child care.

To help children of families who are still required to work during this time, YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas announced March 19 that it will be offering emergency child care services with permission from Dallas County Health and Human Services.

While area YMCA branches have ceased normal operations until April 1 due to the outbreak, 11 of the company’s locations in the Dallas-Forth Worth-area will open to 50 children a day per location. To adhere to the state's requirements, which limits the size of gatherings, the children will be broken up into groups of 10 or less.

“The YMCA has always changed and adapted to meet the needs of the community,” said Curt Hazelbaker, president and CEO of YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas, in a YMCA news statement. “Although our physical locations are temporarily closed, the Y is still here to support and provide for our community in its time of need," Hazelbaker said.

Starting March 23, childcare will run each weekday from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. until the end of April. The rates are $60 per day per child, or $45 for children of first responders; government officials; and hospital, health care and grocery workers, according to the release.


“As our first responders, health care workers and others still need to physically report to work each day, we want to ease their burden and childcare is one less thing they need to worry about during this time,” Hazelbaker said in the release.

The following YMCA locations are participating:
  • Collin County Adventure Camp, 1180 W. Houston St., Anna;
  • Coppell Family YMCA, 146 Town Center Boulevard, Coppell;
  • Grand Prairie Family YMCA, 4556 S. Carrier Parkway, Grand Prairie;
  • J.E.R. Chilton YMCA at Rockwall, 1210 N. Goliad St., Rockwall;
  • McKinney Family YMCA, 300 Ridge Road, McKinney;
  • Park South YMCA, 2500 Romine Ave., Dallas;
  • Plano Family YMCA, 3300 McDermott Road, Plano;
  • Richardson Family YMCA, 821 Custer Road, Richardson;
  • Semones Family YMCA, 4332 Northaven Road, Dallas;
  • T. Boone Pickens YMCA, 601 N. Akard St., Dallas; and
  • Waxahachie Family YMCA, 100 YMCA Drive, Waxahachie.
To learn more or sign up, visit www.ymcadallas.org/emergencyymcachildcare.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to include more information from the YMCA.