Advocacy

Travis County Takes the Lead in Affordable Childcare

January 22, 2025

On Election Day, Travis County unanimously voted to pass a first-of-its-kind proposition. Prop A
was on the ballot and would be a community-wide buy-in for affordable child care across the
county. The proposition would increase property taxes, some 2.5 cents per $100 of property
value the money that would go into covering the cost of around 6,000 daycare slots for
children from low-income families. The money would be used in four parts:

This proposition was authored in response to the decimated childcare facilities that closed
during and in the wake of the 2020 COVID pandemic. Many parents found themselves unable to
return to work or were forced to work remotely due to the scarcity of affordable childcare options
when employers called for a return to the workplace.

Legislation like this is considered the first of its kind in Texas, and it’s overwhelming support
shows how pressing family care is for voters, as well as the need for innovative policies to
address the unprecedented times we’re living in.

Travis County Judge Andy Brown has spoken widely about the benefits of Prop A. When discussing
the necessity of this policy, Judge Brown cites the cost of one year of childcare in Austin,
$13,595. For reference, one year of tuition at University of Texas in Austin is $13,576. The fact
that raising a child in Travis County is functionally more expensive than attending college here,
proves how inaccessible childcare has become in the wake of the pandemic.

The Daily Texan reports that Austin alone has “six childcare deserts” and readers are
encouraged to view Children at Risk’s childcare analysis in Texas here:
https://childrenatrisk.org/child-care-desert-analysis-2024/ for more information.

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