Commentaries at the San Antonio Report provide space for our community to share perspectives and offer solutions to pressing local issues. The views expressed in this commentary belong to the author alone.
For many parents in Workforce Solutions Alamo’s 13-county region, child care is not a luxury, it is a requirement for employment. Their ability to work can rely on the availability of affordable, high-quality care for their children. When parents find it difficult to find affordable child care, it can then cause challenges that affect their ability to maintain consistent employment, pursue education or engage in job training.
The ripple effect of inadequate child care extends beyond families as employers face higher turnover rates, productivity losses or are unable to fill roles. Today, there are more than 29,000 jobs available in the Alamo Region.
Workforce Solutions Alamo (WSA) works directly with 620 child care centers in this area to provide scholarships to families, however, the current demand exceeds capacity. Although there are 14,781 children receiving early education through these centers, we still have another 4,058 children who remain on the waitlist, leaving many families struggling to find the support they need to care for their children while they work, attend school or pursue job training.
To address the high demand for financial assistance and reduce waitlists, we must seek out ways to continue to invest in programs like WSA’s Child Care Services that support working families.
Lawmakers can create funding strategies and economic incentives to strengthen our state’s child care system. By establishing additional funding streams, such as tax credits for employers and subsidies for extended-hour care, we can make child care more accessible and affordable. Reducing operational costs for providers and offering business incentives can also encourage more centers to open and operate sustainably.
To address the shortage of child care in certain areas designated as child care deserts, we can create “Child Care Opportunity Zones.” By offering financial incentives, like expedited regulations and tax credits, we can attract investment and development in these underserved communities.
Many child care providers, particularly in rural areas, struggle to access the capital they need to operate or expand. Creating a child care capital access program or loan guarantee program could help address this issue. Prioritizing loans under $100,000 would be especially beneficial for smaller centers. In addition, a rural child care fund could support the creation of childcare co-ops in underserved rural communities, providing families with more local and affordable options
State and local governments can play a crucial role in addressing the child care crisis. By incorporating child care into economic and housing development initiatives, we can encourage developers to prioritize childcare projects.
Requiring child care facilities in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit-funded projects would ensure that families living in affordable housing have access to the care they need. Furthermore, major economic development projects could be required to either provide onsite child care or offer employer-sponsored child care benefits, directly benefiting both employers and employees.
While Workforce Solutions Alamo currently invests over $100 million annually in child care services, it is evident that the lack of adequate child care is not just a family issue but a workforce issue that requires our attention.
