The Travis County District Court has passed the baton to voters to decide what to do next with affordable child care in the greater Austin area.
This November, Travis County voters will decide whether to increase the tax rate to fund affordable child care. If voters approve the proposed tax rate, property taxes would increase by 2.5 cents per $100 of value in the 2025 tax year. This would increase the existing property tax rate to 3.9790 cents per $100 of value.
If voters approve the increase, the money would allow existing child care facilities to accommodate more children and expand their hours to help parents who need to care for their children outside of regular work hours. The funds would also make child care more affordable for low-income families.
Cathy McHorse, an early childhood consultant, told commissioners during the meeting that city-funded research into community needs has identified potential solutions the increase could bring.
“Basically, we’ve learned that during these hours, whether it’s early morning, evening or weekend care, there are almost no child care facilities open,” McHorse said. “There are currently over 2,000 children ages three and under on the waiting list for child care subsidies. That’s a huge problem because it’s keeping parents from going to work.”
McHorse said if voters choose to fund this initiative, they will be making a long-term investment in their community through the children who will benefit from it.
Literacy Texas reported that a 1% increase in reading proficiency leads to a 2.5% increase in labor productivity and a 1.5% increase in gross domestic product over time. In addition, according to a study funded by the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, the United States could generate up to $2.2 trillion in revenue annually if all adults could read at least at a sixth-grade level.
In the months leading up to the Commissioners Court’s vote on the tax increase, dozens of citizens attended meetings to voice their support. Among those in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting were educators, children and parents, all urging the court to support affordable child care.
Veronda Durden, President and CEO of Any Baby Can, spoke during the meeting on behalf of Ariana Nieve, a single mother and Any Baby Can customer.
“I’ll tell part of Ariana’s story in her own words: ‘As I strive to build a better future for us, it pains me deeply that my son has been on a waiting list for early childhood education for over a year,'” Durden said. “‘This waiting list is a barrier that threatens to squash his potential and limits his options. Affordable child care is not a luxury, it is a necessity. It is the key that opens the door to educational success.'”
Adam Orman, co-owner of restaurants L’Oca d’Oro and Bambino, said affordable child care would allow parents like his employees – who he said are mostly women and people of color – to work without missing shifts, thereby maintaining their financial livelihoods.
After the court unanimously approved the motion to put the tax increase to a vote, judges and commission members received applause from those present.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, who attended the commissioners’ meeting, also signaled his support for the initiative.
“The truth is that here in Austin, we love our children,” Watson said. “We understand the promise they bring, the potential they bring to our great city. So we know we need to do more for these kids. I want Austin to be the best place in America to raise a child, and the key to that is affordability.”
