Taxpayers to Decide on Funding Childcare, Literally the Least They Could Do

The Travis County Commissioners Court has finally decided to let voters decide on a proposed tax increase to fund affordable childcare, passing the buck to the community to do what they should've done themselves. In November, taxpayers will vote on a proposed tax rate increase of 2.5 cents per $100 valuation for the 2025 tax year, bringing the rate to 3.9790 cents per $100 valuation.

Our community is in desperate need of affordable childcare, and it's about time we invested in our future. This small increase can make a huge difference in the lives of working parents and their children. It's unbelievable that we still need to have this conversation in 2023.
—Cathy McHorse, early childhood consultant

The funds from this tax increase would allow childcare providers to expand their capacity and operate during non-traditional work hours, benefiting working parents, particularly those from marginalized communities. It's absurd that in this day and age, parents are still struggling to find affordable childcare, with over 2,000 children currently on the waiting list for a subsidy. This proposal is a step towards addressing the systemic inequalities that have plagued our society for too long.

This isn't just about childcare, it's about literacy, productivity, and GDP. Investing in our children's education pays off exponentially in the long run. It's shameful that we're not already providing the necessary resources to ensure every child has access to quality early education.
—Literacy Texas, as if they need to convince anyone of this

The impact of this potential tax increase reaches far beyond Travis County. A study by the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy (who else would fund such a study?) found that raising adult literacy levels could generate up to $2.2 trillion in annual income for the entire nation. That's money that could go back into communities, stimulate the economy, and pull families out of poverty.

Affordable childcare isn't a luxury, it's a basic human right. We're talking about unlocking the door to educational success for future generations. It's truly embarrassing that we're treating this as an option.
—Veronda Durden, president and CEO of Any Baby Can, speaking on behalf of a struggling single mother

The court's decision to pass the proposal to voters was met with relief and applause from attendees, including Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, who grasped the nettle, stating:

We love our children [in Austin] and we understand their promise and potential [for the city]. We need to do better by them [so that Austin can be the best place in America to raise a child].
—Kirk Watson, probably holding back tears

It's absolutely ridiculous that we're still having these conversations and treating affordable childcare as an optional extra. The community should never have had to step in and demand action on this issue. This is a basic human rights issue and it's about time we treated it as such.

Sources

Meeting attendees: https://www.anybabycan.org/about-us/news-media/any-baby-can-ceo-veronda-durden-speaks-support-affordable-child-care-traviscounty

Literacy Texas: https://literacytexas.org/

Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy study: https://www.barbarabush.org/resources/literacy-statistics/#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20study%20funded,income%20annually.%20%E2%80%9D&text=Children%20growing%20up%20in%20poverty,their%20families%20break%20free%20.%5B%24%5D