The YWCA of Metropolitan Dallas is a local association of the YWCA USA. We are a grassroots organization and raise all of our money through our own efforts.

We believe in developing a world where women who work hard are afforded opportunities for success. The YWCA does this by investing in the lives of women through a four-pronged approach that focuses on:

• Affordable, high quality child care for working families

• Free access to breast health care services for uninsured and underinsured women

• Financial literacy education and incentives to asset building for families

• Parenting education for high-risk families, including first-time mothers and teen parents

Find out how the YWCA helps »

	Child Care Issues Child care affordability is a major issue for working families. In the Dallas area, full-time child care for two children area averages more than $11,000 a year. This can easily make child care cost a single mother nearly 40 percent of her income. Only 4 percent of licensed child care facilities in Dallas County meet national standards of excellence, making it even harder to find quality care at an affordable price. While government subsidies can help the lowest income families, thousands of Dallas County children remain on waiting lists because of a lack of funding.
	Women's Health Issues With early detection, the survival rate for breast cancer is nearly 100 percent, yet thousands of women die needlessly because a lack of insurance prevents them from receiving an early diagnosis. This is particularly critical in North Central Texas where more than one-quarter of Dallas women are going uninsured for some period each year – one of the highest rates in the nation. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women ages 40-59, and yet, in Texas only 28 percent of uninsured women over the age of 40 received a mammogram in the past year.
	Financial Literacy Issues Women account for the majority of major spending decisions, yet often lack basic financial skills and a sound understanding of financial infrastructure. Many of these families are living just one financial emergency away from poverty. In fact, 1 in 4 Dallas County families are considered “asset poor.” If their current income was suspended, they would lack the resources to live at the poverty line for three months. Resources, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, exist to help these families, yet these funds are often left on the table because of a lack of public awareness.
	Parenting Education Issues Approximately 40 percent of births in Dallas are to first-time mothers, including thousands to teens. The cost to our community is great, with increased risks of late or no prenatal care, health complications, and diminished opportunities for their future. Texas continues to have the highest teen birth rate in the nation, with one in four to teens who already have children. Parenthood is a leading cause of high school dropout among girls, and poverty is the single greatest factor of the risk for teen pregnancy.