Less than a year after voters passed a countywide tax rate hike to boost affordable child care, the county has now doled out a total of $55 million toward the effort.
The big picture
Travis County Judge Andy Brown said he’s eager for the new partnerships to start “cutting red tape” and shortening long wait times for local families, adding that continued collaboration with business, workforce and government partners will be key to further developing the programs.
The annual $75 million in taxpayer funding is expected to support several specific programs that increase affordable child care for around 9,800 children, according to original estimates from the county:
- Increase subsidy spots in early childhood day cares; create incentives for providers to offer reduced-tuition spots
- Increase after-school and summer-care spots
- Expand nontraditional-hours child care—options outside the regular 9-to-5 workday for parents who work atypical hours
- Cover gaps in state subsidy funding
A child care subsidy is financial assistance provided by the government to help families pay for child care services.
Individuals who apply for any of the free or low-income programs must satisfy low-income eligibility and employment requirements. For example, Workforce Solutions Capital Area eligibility sets the income limit for a family of four at $87,000 annually.
To date, the funding supports around 4,099 children in various programs across the county.
The details
County staff determined the quickest way to increase long-term capacity for early childhood and after-school slots would be through existing partnerships. The county’s initial investment is the fastest child care fund to launch in the nation, as similar efforts typically take about two years to get off the ground, staff said.
Commissioners’ most recent action granted $21 million in several contracts to Workforce Solutions, which actively accepts applications from both parents and providers, distributing funding for student scholarships and subsidy gap funding for providers.
Last month, $34 million was initially allocated to Workforce Solutions for child care scholarships as well as several after-school programs in partnership with Austin ISD, Manor ISD and Del Valle ISD. The local school district interlocal agreements kicked off a two-year pilot for the funding enabling local schools to expand their existing programs.
The impact
Local child care provider Tamitha Blackmon, owner of Nehemiah Christian School, said that though the cost of providing quality child care has gone up, the reimbursement rate from the state has not.
“Too often the actual cost of care outpaces those scholarships, leaving providers on the line for the balance. The funding approved this morning will help close the gap and make sure those of us in the child care community can continue doing what we love for years to come,” Blackmon said.
Blackmon said she will now be able to give raises to employees who have managed heavy workloads, helping their pay keep pace with the rising costs of living in the Austin area.
Advocacy group Texas Association for the Education of Young Children previously told Community Impact that a key factor behind long child care waitlists statewide, including in Travis County, is the state’s limited investment—currently set at only the minimum required by federal guidelines.
Quote of note
“Workforce Solutions Capital Area focuses on building pathways to economic mobility for Central Texas families. That means addressing the major barrier keeping parents, but especially women, out of the workforce: unaffordable, inaccessible child care,” said Yael Lawson, interim Workforce Solutions Capital Area CEO. “Today, the commissioners invested in the long-term economic resilience of our community. ... When parents can work and kids get the strong start they deserve, we all win.”
Looking ahead
Gap funding will be made available for providers through Workforce Solutions beginning in November, while child care scholarships will be made available to families at the start of the new year, county officials said.
“As the son of a teacher, I’ve always believed that the way we treat, train and prepare our youth will define who we are. Amid chaos at the state and federal government, Raising Travis County is what can happen when local communities come together to find local solutions to problems,” Travis County Commissioner Jeff Travillion said. “Today, we’re standing together and demanding the best for all of our children in this community.”
