Travis County moves to pilot short‑term uses of voter‑approved childcare fund, seeks advisory council by June 10

Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved a plan allowing Health and Human Services (HHS) to begin short‑term investments from the voter‑approved childcare and out‑of‑school‑time (CCOST) fund while HHS completes formal solicitations and forms a community advisory council.

The court’s vote authorizes HHS to expand childcare and after‑school slots through contract modifications with current providers, negotiate interlocal agreements (ILAs) with school districts that serve high percentages of economically disadvantaged students, and pursue pilot partnerships with the city of Austin and Workforce Solutions to close “cost‑of‑quality” gaps providers report.

The action follows months of HHS community outreach and a two‑hour public comment period during which providers, community advocates and business leaders urged quick use of the funds, stressed the county’s pressing need for infant/toddler (0–3) slots, and warned that funding school‑district pre‑K expansion could destabilize existing family‑ and community‑based providers if not coordinated.

Pilar Sanchez,…