By Kalí Rourke, Impact Austin Member
Impact Austin is well known for its excellent grantmaking process, the philanthropy education it provides to members, and the lasting positive changes that have resulted in the Central Texas community.
Our members are often important parts of community initiatives, collaborations, and programs. From time to time we like to let our membership at large know about them. In this article, we are highlighting two members advocating for Affordable Childcare Now.
Long time Impact Austin member Dr. Libby Doggett was recently quoted in the Austin Chronicle, saying, “In May 2024, the Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved the Travis County CARES Resolution, the first step toward a November ballot measure that will provide long-term, reliable funding for child care and afterschool solutions benefiting thousands of our most vulnerable children and families. Recognizing the critical need to ensure working parents have access to high-quality affordable child care and afterschool programs, community leaders have united to form the Affordable Childcare Now coalition, a broad coalition convened by the United Way for Greater Austin to support concrete solutions in Travis County.”
Dr. Doggett added, “This is not just an issue of affordability; it’s a barrier to economic stability and growth for Travis County. Businesses face challenges in recruiting, training, and retaining top talent. When the Commissioners Court met, officials highlighted the child care crisis, revealing a $9.39 billion economic loss annually in Texas due to inadequate child care.”
Affordable Childcare Now agrees and states the following in their efforts to bring this issue to the front of our minds whether we have children ourselves, or not.
How does this initiative benefit all of the community, even those without children?
Lack of affordable child care is a barrier to economic stability and growth for Travis County.
The lack of reliable and affordable childcare has far-reaching consequences:
Workplace disruptions: When our colleagues are unable to come to work due to childcare issues, it affects productivity and morale.
Business operations: Companies struggle to maintain full staffing levels when employees face childcare challenges, impacting overall performance and service delivery.
Essential services: Critical public services such as hospitals, schools, and emergency response teams become understaffed when their employees can't secure dependable childcare.
Economic impact: The ripple effect of inadequate childcare options extends beyond individual families, affecting entire communities and local economies.
Texas loses an estimated $9.39 billion annually from its economy due to breakdowns in child care.
Austin’s infrastructure workforce employs over 222,000 residents and is expected to grow by more than 80% by 2040, childcare is a critical component for the current and future infrastructure workforce to meet this high demand.
Families need access to child care that meets their needs, often not the traditional 9 to 5. Parents who work in health care or grocery stores, first responders and construction workers, truck drivers, bus drivers, and transit employees, and even teachers often need care earlier, later, and sometimes overnight. This ballot measure would expand childcare available during these hours.
Increasing resources for child care is both job-creating and job-enabling.
Another long time Impact Austin member who was instrumental in forming the coalition and who continues to raise its profile is Austin City Councilmember, Alison Alter. Councilmember Alter is an outspoken advocate for Affordable Childcare Now.
“It’s been an absolute honor to work with advocates, business owners, and other community leaders for a ballot initiative that will transform our community. On August 13, 2024, the Travis County Commissioners voted unanimously to advance our proposal to invest in our early childhood and youth services ecosystem! This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to provide economic opportunity to working families and support to small businesses in Travis County. Our coalition is strong - Learn more and get involved by visiting affordablechildcarenow.com.”
Do you know an Impact Austin woman who is involved in something timely and impactful outside of our organization's grantmaking? Let us know with an email to contact@impactaustin.org. You never know which Impact Austin women you will see out changing the city, the county, the state, or even the nation!
