Government
BY CHLOE YOUNG
$75M affordable child care initiative moving forward in Travis County
The approach
The Raising Travis County program is working to increase available spots for child care while also improving the quality of the programs, Meunier said. The county has awarded $17.34 million to Workforce Solutions Capital Area to cover 1,000 child care scholarships annually for children up to 3 years old. The organization has also received $4.16 million to cover quality improvements at 150 child care providers, such as teacher raises curriculum updates, Meunier said. Additionally, $4.85 million in annual funding has been allocated to cover extended prekindergarten and after-school care at Austin, Del Valle and Manor ISDs. The Salvation Army will receive more than $500,000 to provide emergency child care for families experiencing homelessness.
coming months, said Leah Meunier, strategic adviser for Raising Travis County. The county is seeking to offer contracted slots by paying child care providers to reserve seats for low-income families. The county plans to assist providers in offering child care during nontraditional hours.
Efforts are underway to provide more affordable child care in Travis County. In 2024, voters approved increasing the county’s tax rate to generate $75 million for Raising Travis County. The county has awarded more than $28 million to local organizations with plans to award an additional $17 million in the
Travis County children with parents working nontraditional hours
Family income below poverty (below 100% federal poverty level)
Family income low but not below poverty (100–199% FPL)
Family income not low (200%+ FPL)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Children under age 6
SOURCE: URBAN INSTITUTE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION
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