20240327-004_JIC FY24-25 Current Early Childhood Investments Budget Recommendation Signed — original pdf

Recommendation

BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Joint Inclusion Committee Budget 20240327-04: Recommendation Regarding Current Early Childhood Investments WHEREAS, the Joint Inclusion Commi that advocates for and inspires the City Counci equity, diversity, and inclusion to promote clo ent, City utions, and agencie boards, commissions, commi and sustain equity, diversity, and inclusion in t n Council, City Managem s to increase he city; and ttees, and task forces, and individuals, instit l (“Council”) and City Manager on issues pertaining t se cooperation betwee o ttee (“JIC”) of the City of Austin (“City”) serves as an advisory body WHEREAS, in the City of Austin, 31% of children under age 6 live in households with low income; and WHEREAS, 90% of the children in households with low income under age 6 are children of color; and decades WHEREAS, world because children birth-weight, at school; and of research prove that disadvantage s begin the moment childre n come into the born into poverty and children of color are disproportionately at low born early, or with chronic illnesses, and are less likely than their peers to be ready for, or successful investments WHEREAS, current City the Austin/Travis designed coordinated table acce systems for equi to coordinate improve child and family ss; and County Success By 6 Strategic efforts, in early childhood programs align with the goals and strategies of Plan - a robust, data-driven plan and as well as build more efficient community strategic outcomes WHEREAS, programs workforce; the federal, state, are expiring and and local economic recovery worker wage stipends funds invested for the early childhood in early childhood systems and in 2024, including essential Child Care Scholarship is closed, WHEREAS, no new funding enrollment amount of time a family applying they could expect through is available for a scholarship to be outreached for enrollment programs time will likely at that and is 24 months; at this time, and as of March 2024, the estimated remain on a wait list before Workforce Solutions Capital Area are at capacity, WHEREAS, region's skilled and trades; the skilled the City of Austin's recently announced Infrastructure is intended to expand the trade sector and access to child care is an obstacle workforce, including Academy for the existing WHEREAS, the Early Childhood Workgroup, and GAVA, all calling sector. Council has had input fro for significantly increased m Success By 6, The Childre n's Funding Project local government investment in the Childcare NOW, THEREFORE, maintain all current investments in early childhoo limited that the Early Childhood d programs BE IT RESOLVED to: Council recommends that the City of Austin including and infrastructure, but not • APH Staff: Service • Social $171,000 for Contracts: $13,352,165 to six agencies to provide early childhood 2 FTE staff focused on early childhood programs and services including services, early childhood 2025, and four 12-month education quality extension early childhood education, improvement, infant and early childhood services, and March 30, term through for a 12-month options $128,000 • Start-up • KinderCare at Bergstrom Tech's Lease: costs for Pre-K classrooms: for six classrooms; operating Annual funding for one-time expenses cost per classroom for city funded facilities early childhood infrastructure • Essential WIC programs that specifically for the Economic such as Family Connects, serve families Maternal with young children Grant Program Development No. 20230126-055 in City Council Resolution and services; Outreach and Program, to age 5 from prenatal for Child Care Programs, as a mechanism early childhood full funding which has been identified increase access to high-quality, affordable • Allocate and Infant to that the Early Childhood Council RESOLVED further BE IT FURTHER Austin the Success finalize supports By 6, Children's work on the child care component Workgroup, Funding Project a Greater Austin a rea plan by July 1, 2024. that the City of recommends of the Infrastructure and GAVA recommendations and Academy to Record of the vote: 9-0 vote, Commissioners Vargas and Gordon absent (ECC) Date of Approval: March 27, 2024 Attest: Vice Chair