Travis County invests $21 million in affordable child care - Austin Monitor

"County commissioners have taken their biggest step yet towards getting families tangible access to child care following a voter-approved tax increase to fund sweeping investment in that sector last November. Of the $75 million approved last year, the county has awarded $21 million in two contracts with Capital Area Workforce Solutions to provide direct scholarships to families and gap funding to prop up inadequately state-subsidized providers."

"Currently, Workforce Solutions serves about 3,000 children with a network of 300 providers, but there are thousands of families still waiting to receive child care. The current waitlist time listed on the website is two years. The new contracts will provide at least 1,000 more children with child care, making a significant dent in what was an almost 5,000-person waitlist this time last year."

"The long-term strategy promises to: 1) increase subsidized spots and release parents from the waitlist; 2) expand options for parents that work out of the traditional 9-5 schedule; 3) incentivize employers to provide child care as an employee benefit; and 4) plug gaps in the state's funding system for child care. These contracts are the first step toward solving items one and four on that list."

County commissioners approved $21 million in contracts with Capital Area Workforce Solutions to provide direct scholarships to families and gap funding for underfunded providers. Workforce Solutions currently serves about 3,000 children through 300 providers, while thousands remain on a waitlist with a two-year listed wait time. The new contracts will serve at least 1,000 additional children, significantly reducing the waitlist from nearly 5,000 last year. Short-term county investments funded out-of-school-time services and interlocal agreements with local school districts to serve about 2,000 youth. First drafts of a long-term spending plan will be presented in November. The long-term strategy targets subsidized spots, schedule flexibility, employer incentives, and state funding gaps.

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