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Travis County proclaims Week of the Young Child, community leaders urge rapid rollout of voter-approved childcare funds
Summary
The Commissioners Court approved a proclamation recognizing April 5–11 as the Week of the Young Child and heard community pleas to distribute the voter-approved childcare and out-of-school-time fund quickly to avert summer and long-term child-care gaps.
Travis County Commissioners on April 8 unanimously approved a proclamation recognizing April 5–11 as the Week of the Young Child and heard public comments urging the county to accelerate disbursement of the voter-approved Childcare and Out-of-School Time Fund (Prop A).
Hilda Rivas, a senior planner with Travis County Health and Human Services, and community partners described the first years of life as critical for child development and noted disparities in access. "According to 2023 American Community Survey data, there are 81,857 children under age 6 in Travis County, roughly 30% of whom live below 200% of the federal poverty level," Rivas said while reading the proclamation.
Barbara Gamponeta, director of the Austin Travis County Success by 6 Coalition, praised the county's voter-approved fund and said the investment should be paired with urgent implementation. "This week calls for urgency, for innovation, and really a steadfast commitment to doing things differently," Gamponeta said.
Laura Olson, identifying herself as a Travis County mother, childcare advocate and the organizing director at Go Austin, Bammos Austin, urged immediate action to prevent service gaps. Olson said local providers had already warned of summer shortages: "Greater Austin YMCA shared that by June 3, they'll have 1,000 Travis County kids they cannot serve in summer care due to lack of funding. Come August, another 600 will be turned away because their parents cannot afford care." Olson also cited a roughly two-year subsidy waiting list and asked the court to accelerate concrete steps: activate a community advisory board, fund shared-service hubs (noting United Way's existing hub), expand infant-toddler capacity, and create scholarship and gap-funding mechanisms for families who do not qualify for full subsidies.
Judge Andy Brown and commissioners expressed support for the proclamation and for moving the childcare fund implementation forward. Brown said he was "very impatient for us to get these funds into the community and apply them where they're needed." Commissioner Howard also urged focus on long-term outcomes for children born into poverty.
The court approved the proclamation unanimously. No new budget appropriations were made at the April 8 meeting; county staff said community input sessions are underway and that project design and disbursement mechanics remain under development.
Clarifying details stated in the meeting include the ACS estimate of 81,857 children under 6 in Travis County and Olson's presentation of local service shortfalls (1,000 children unsheltered by YMCA summer programs as of June 3; another 600 in August; a subsidy wait list of nearly 5,000 children). Olson recommended an open RFP process, a community advisory board, funding for existing shared services and workforce supports, and targeted scholarships for families ineligible for full subsidies. Commissioners asked staff to continue the rollout work and indicated a desire to move funds into the community as soon as operational structures are in place.
