State panel to hear from public on workforce need for child care
On Wednesday, a Texas Senate committee will begin exploring ways to help working families find child care. They're hoping taking that worry off their mind will increase worker productivity. But don't expect the committee to recommend additional state spending for child care services.
Working families will tell you child care centers are not available in every neighborhood. And if you're a first responder or essential worker working odd shifts, your child care options are going to be even smaller.
But local governments have been stepping in to help encourage new child care facilities to open. The City of Austin recently approved giving child care centers a break on their property taxes to help the bottom line. And in the November 5th election Travis County voters to create a fund to grow more local child care and support afterschool and summer programs.
But don't expect such ambitious proposals from the state. When the Texas Senate Natural Resources and Economic Development Committee meets, their agenda suggests they will be focused on not losing any more child care centers while holding the line on spending. The agenda specifies their goal is to "make recommendations, within existing resources, to maintain childcare availability to support a growing workforce."
Child care operators are hoping the state will welcome their input the way local governments have. Patsy Harnage owns Bright Beginnings Childcare Center, She says, "In the childcare industry, we tend to be overlooked as far as funding from state and federal and local entities, so this gives us a seat at the table and helps us to finally get a chance to fund some of the resources that that we desperately needs."
Child care owners may get their chance to be heard. Wednesday's meeting of the Texas Senate Natural Resources and Economic Development Committee is a public hearing. The agenda says the panel will hear both invited and public testimony. So there's hope.
