BY GRANT CRAWFORD & HALEY MCLEOD
How it would work
Program Slots created Annual cost
Description
Ages served
Increase accessibility and availability of full-day, year-round care for income-eligible infant and toddler families Increase accessibility and availability for after-school and summer care Increase availability and accessibility to care during early mornings, evenings, overnight and weekends Cover funding gaps in the cost of tuition for a child and the amount paid by state and federal funding toward subsidy slots Incentivize businesses and employers to contribute to the child care cost of their employees by matching county funding to employer contributions
Expand early child care
Infants and toddlers
1,878
$34.8M
If voters approve the funding, county officials’ plans emphasize increasing financial-assisted spots, followed by expanding after-school and summer programs. “This is one of those situations where we really are building a plane as we’re flying it,” Korey Darling, planning manager at Travis County Health and Human Services, told commissioners June 25. Darling said there is still a lot of work needed for programs to be implemented by their projected timeline, starting as early as summer 2025 in a phased rollout.
Expand after-school and summer care slots Expand nontraditional hours Fill subsidy spot funding gaps Offer co-subsidized slots, employer incentives
Pre-K through 12th grades
3,897
$11.4M
1,407
$6.4M
All ages
Infants and toddlers
1,476
$6.7M
Infants and toddlers
1,143
$4.9M
NOTE: THE REMAINING $12.48M FUNDING WILL BE USED FOR STAFF TRAINING AND EDUCATION, AND ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS. SOURCE: TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
The outlook
Put in perspective
Texas’s economy loses about $9.4 billion annually due to breakdowns in child care, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Should Travis County voters accept the tax rate increase in the Nov. 5 election, thousands of families could receive help through the expanded programs and be taken off the county’s 24-month waiting list for stipends. However, it would also cause the average homeowner to pay an additional $126 annually on top of an estimated $162 increase to their property tax bill, which the Travis County Commissioners Court approved earlier this year. Early voting in Travis County takes place Oct. 21-Nov. 1. Visit www.elections.traviscountytx. gov to find early voting locations.
Pflugerville parent Kate Bugusky said the measure would gain more support if people of all income levels could receive assistance, “and not just those that would be considered low income.” She said residents like herself, who live in a Water Control and Improvement District, or WCID, already pay more in taxes for routine services. “Child care for everyone is extremely expensive right now,” she said. Alissa Born, owner of Firefly Community School in Pflugerville, recently started accepting families through child care assistance programs, which she said helps families find the right option for care. “Pflugerville has a lot of religious schools and corporate schools, but the smaller schools like us, there aren’t very many,” Born said. “So for parents who want a more intimate child care setting that feels like home—it’s kind of a struggle.”
Travis County tax rate breakdown
Proposed tax rate increase (per $100 of property value)
$0.025
Projected property tax revenue
$76.75M
Estimated annual impact to average Travis County homeowner
$125.98
Estimated monthly impact to average homeowner
$10.50
SOURCE: TRAVIS COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
���� ABOR INDUSTRY AWARDS 2023 COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD WINNER
HOMETOWN HEROES If your company or organization is involved in service, scan to see if you qualify for HUGE savings on buying, selling, or refinancing. 512.922.0873 mjmoorman914@gmail.com
Longtime local resident • Licensed Realtor 10+ years Get your home spotlighted on HOMES.com, and BOTH Austin and Central Texas MLS!
Miriam Moorman | REALTOR®, MBA, GRI, CRS
PflugervilleHomeSales.com HuttoHomeSales.com
Lives Here. Gives Here.
31
PFLUGERVILLE - HUTTO EDITION
Powered by FlippingBook