BY WESLEY GARDNER & CASSANDRA JENKINS
Zooming in
What’s next
Nationwide child care costs
$5,520 lost by families per working parent in reduced earnings due to insufficient child care access and time spent looking for work if they’re fired as a result, totaling roughly $78 billion annually $1,640 lost by businesses per working parent in reduced revenue and in extra hiring costs, totaling roughly $23 billion annually $1,470 lost in tax revenue per working parent due to decreased income tax revenue and decreased sales tax revenue from reduced spending, totaling roughly $21 billion annually
While Kofron said she was disappointed the state Legislature failed to approve an additional $2.29 billion for early child care that was originally included in the state’s budget, she pointed to a handful of bills that were approved aimed at assisting child care providers in Texas. Child care bills approved in 2023 Senate Bill 1145 Allows local tax authorities to give property tax relief to some child care programs House Bill 2729 Lowers hiring qualifications for pre-K teachers at child care centers partnering with local school districts House Bill 1615 Helps child care centers become eligible to partner with local school districts to provide care for pre-K aged students
Kofron said the industry could take a hit with the loss of federal relief funds. According to the nonprofit’s report, the relief funds helped support more than 80% of child care centers in Texas. “Really, what that extra money provided was a bedrock of funding that allowed centers to pay their staff more—to be able to keep tuition lower for families,” Kofron said. “That money is gone now.” Annette Collins, executive director of God’s Grace Learning Center in Tomball, said she used relief funds to raise wages and provide other perks. “Any hourly job is hard to retain staff, so those funds put us in a position where we can pay our staff better,” she said. “That attracts a different type of clientele and staff as well.” Leylea Dumstorss, director of A Child’s View in Magnolia, said operation of the day care has not changed with the loss of federal funds, aside from finding it harder to hire quality staff. “We are paying a little bit better than what the average facilities are, but we are finding as we
SOURCE: COUNCIL FOR A STRONG AMERICA/COMMUNITY IMPACT
expand and grow it is becoming a challenge to hire staff,” she said. “We have the kids; we are just needing the teachers.” Kofron said the funding loss coupled with infla- tion could lead child care providers to raise tuition rates that are already too high for many families. According to a 2023 analysis by nonprofit Council for a Strong America, the nation’s child care crisis costs $122 billion in lost earnings, productivity and revenue from parents, businesses and taxpayers every year.
SOURCE: TEXAS LEGISLATURE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Dentistry for the Whole Family
Dr. Sarah Norman Practicing dentistry in Magnolia since 2013
New patients always welcome Cosmetic Dentistry | General Dentistry | Restorative Dentistry Children's Dentistry | Surgical | Invisalign® 281.789.7728 7030 FM 1488 Road, Suite 200 Magnolia, TX 77354
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