[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6627206,"mediaKeyId","2729985-b0ce3ad3f7a29b4ed3e3fac6c695d392","parentId",2729985,"title","Travis County begins phased rollout of voter-approved Prop A childcare fund, seeks community input","audioSeconds",975,"startMs",3930000,"endMs",4905000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2729985-b0ce3ad3f7a29b4ed3e3fac6c695d392&start=3930&end=4905","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2729985-b0ce3ad3f7a29b4ed3e3fac6c695d392/thumbnail_3930000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6627206/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Travis-County-begins-phased-rollout-of-voter-approved-Prop-A-childcare-fund-seeks-community-input","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6627206-4117858e7a93995624459954d4ff3ac5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770451639&Signature=XpEFGdRQJkiDQGUAFbFHcAqWthDq6vkdg5N4sGpIjh~vmsrcvRK1TPjXP3PjbUUVusDXdtaBLPFkDzL-eeZpf99WbcA6axDROtkFlwUjTCZ7QmCS7yd~JeGKJHMYS-MI2Vm0K2lPmtCe2612~wPEEomvcxR784YTBJCMNLtqdewxjVXSiN31NED9vuYRJrSD6zBG5qZCARqRvtKS5JDQquTYobptRO1PuIcLZHiGK3iWVZHwR370G2n40d7UG8B35W5-9-4gBA6YDrwPOeoxeUMGZspynX~WuP4DKDpQZvbYp70AFHBxZ3bvn6vMBPCa2kItCKth4jmZ06GDQYxmcQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-03-21T00:00:00Z","article","Corey Darling, Research and Planning Division Director at Travis County Health and Human Services, briefed the committee on March 21 on implementation progress for the voter‑approved childcare and out‑of‑school-time fund (Prop A), which passed Nov. 5, 2024 and is expected to generate approximately $75 million annually.

Darling said the county intends a phased rollout that emphasizes community engagement, short‑term expansions of current contracts to get services on the ground, and a formal procurement process for longer‑term service contracts. The fund’s initial planning priorities include hiring county staff to administer the program, convening a community advisory council, conducting community listening sessions and drafting solicitations based on four strategies in the ballot proposal.

The four strategies in the Prop A implementation plan are: expand childcare slots for infants and toddlers and after‑school/summer programs; increase nontraditional‑hours care (early morning, evenings, weekends); strengthen provider quality and capacity through training and business supports; and create a public‑private business/government alliance to reduce employee child care costs. Darling emphasized that the county intends to pay provider rates that reflect the actual cost of delivering quality care in the Austin/Travis County market.

Darling said the county launched an English/Spanish survey this week and will hold community listening sessions; the next scheduled session is Saturday, March 29 at 10:30 a.m. at the Carver Library. He said the county is recruiting for a strategic adviser to lead the effort and plans to bring a Community Advisory Council proposal to the commissioners court later in 2025.

Because the county must use competitive procurement for ongoing contracts, Darling said it will use a staggered timeline: select short‑term expansions of existing contractors this summer, release the first formal solicitation in fall 2025, and begin services in 2026 with contracts in place across all four strategies by the end of 2026. He also said the county plans to procure a third‑party evaluator to measure services and impact.

Darling framed Prop A as the first county voter‑approved child care fund in Texas and said the county is studying other jurisdictions’ experiences to inform local implementation. He invited city offices and community members to the listening sessions and asked for assistance publicizing events and surveys.

The briefing was informational; the committee did not take formal action on the county implementation plan.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - Economic Opportunity Committee - Mar 21, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Corey Darling, Research and Planning Division Director at Travis County Health and Human Services, briefed the Economic Opportunity Committee on March 21 on implementation steps for Travis County’s voter‑approved Prop A child care and out‑of‑school fund, which is estimated to generate about $75 million annually.","taxTitle","Austin, Travis County, Texas","taxId",2819,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6627211,"Workforce Solutions outlines Infrastructure Academy launch, career navigation and childcare supports",3909,298000,4207000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2729985-b0ce3ad3f7a29b4ed3e3fac6c695d392&start=298&end=4207","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2729985-b0ce3ad3f7a29b4ed3e3fac6c695d392/thumbnail_298000.jpg","/articles/6627211/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Workforce-Solutions-outlines-Infrastructure-Academy-launch-career-navigation-and-childcare-supports","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6627211-fc01fc17fa125ace40eb1afddc9a32d7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770451639&Signature=n3esKnASFMpyVQeVmRunVyig3e0vfxFvQPz9RGu~~NnTY8-UV18rNwQR~IxnGcdCedQUfaFFTmlU0jkQVcU31tRn9nCzxGV-MXsg3owCYxRFUAcKeWzSXR2gt45O6ex6m5vpF7CBhukYfYU8z308Liq0D6qcYSeQA6eV~tjph0jYbKuZq-zoHohS7ke6m4XTEl8m1oJsbFgyYue11ca5X6y~msir9hu0HNA39WveUfY9nozX8YqoBc88i2uT9VhiZC0Dse8kPnLHWrh70DbHy88cHgY8jCAbvbAz3DVC6O4Z~71ByFWn~7Duju0esnO5s09nr-uKtXl7HSRN1jXuzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tamara Atkinson, CEO of Workforce Solutions Capital Area, told the Economic Opportunity Committee on March 21 that the Austin Infrastructure Academy will open its community-facing launch event March 26 and serve as a “career navigation marketplace” connecting Austinites to training and jobs tied to major public and private infrastructure projects.

The launch event is scheduled for March 26, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Workforce Solutions Capital Area’s facility, 9001 N. I‑35, Suite 110E. Atkinson said the event is the first of quarterly outreach activities intended to connect job seekers, training providers and infrastructure employers.

The academy is intended to coordinate training and employer demand tied to multiple large projects in Austin and the region — including Project Connect, airport expansion, I‑35 work and major private-sector employers — and to build career pathways rather than single short-term placements. Atkinson said Austin needs roughly 10,000 skilled workers annually to meet projected infrastructure demand and that the academy aims to reduce barriers to participation through navigation, wraparound supports and apprenticeship options.

Atkinson described the academy as both a physical site and a distributed service: Austin Community College will host the academy temporarily at its Riverside campus while the city and partners work toward a permanent, southeast Austin facility adjacent to the airport. “People have asked me, is the infrastructure academy a physical location or is it a concept? ... Yes. It is both,” Atkinson said.

Program design features Atkinson outlined include career navigators who assess jobseekers before enrollment, a training marketplace to align program start dates and outcomes, apprenticeship and “earn-and-learn” pathways, and a technology-enabled marketplace to be rolled out later in 2025. She said navigation staff will include a K–12 navigator focused on earlier engagement with schools and that the program will emphasize recruitment of underrepresented groups, including women, who currently represent a smaller share of the skilled trades workforce.

On child care, Atkinson said trainees participating in the Infrastructure Academy will receive six months of guaranteed child care scholarships “for as long as funds last.” Workforce Solutions will cover 100% of parent share of cost during the six months and then seek to transition eligible families to federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidies for an additional 12 months. Priority for the scholarships will be individuals enrolled in academy training who reside in Travis County/City of Austin, families at or below 85% of state median income, and families in the Eastern Crescent ZIP codes. Atkinson said the program initially expects to serve about 100 children at an average cost of roughly $1,000 per month.

Committee members pressed for details about barriers other than child care, including justice‑involvement costs and one‑time crisis expenses. Councilmember Harper Madison asked whether justice‑related fees or delinquencies could be covered. Atkinson said Workforce Solutions already maintains a crisis assistance policy that can make one‑time payments for urgent needs such as a car repair or an imminent eviction and that she would check whether justice‑related expenses could be included or whether policy changes would be needed: “I will check our policy, and see what does our policy say and how might our policy be amended to take that into consideration.”

Atkinson said the academy will hire career navigators and a senior director position is open; she said the program conservatively expects to place a minimum of 100 individuals into training in the first year and to serve several hundred people through navigation (she cited an expectation of 500–600 people receiving navigator services). She also said Workforce Solutions will seek private‑sector partners to help sustain and expand the work.

If it proceeds as planned, the Infrastructure Academy will combine physical services, navigation staff and an eventual digital marketplace to link jobseekers, training and employers for long-term career pathways tied to Austin’s infrastructure pipeline.

The presentation was a briefing; the committee did not take formal action on the academy at this meeting.

","Workforce Solutions Capital Area presented the Austin Infrastructure Academy, a career navigation marketplace connecting job seekers to mobility and infrastructure projects; launch event set for March 26 and the program includes apprenticeship pathways, navigators and a six‑month child care scholarship pilot.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6627197,"Economic Opportunity Committee approves 2025 calendar",174,252000,426000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2729985-b0ce3ad3f7a29b4ed3e3fac6c695d392&start=252&end=426","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2729985-b0ce3ad3f7a29b4ed3e3fac6c695d392/thumbnail_252000.jpg","/articles/6627197/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Economic-Opportunity-Committee-approves-2025-calendar","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6627197-3e5db62f3e1f19bfd825f5ac4c092e5d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770451639&Signature=WckZVULLW5f22cnKTLdAJ-1z92CD5g6bVkI7VjdDXGF~HVf2mQ11PghLlK40VZ0hQqU2La5XhuSm7804b1fRVoIayu4OGyZA4j6iUDrDgq6zgSlrKFuOreL1GSZU1xOiMHU63LMiVrliZuRsq~LN8Zkj1NK5GpY35F4xm0E5Mm8tMkRdPsJ0ESd-KNf7yUeOkyu9LDF9PCNa9Q45c5SJ7adWDmUhRsQF0swrIk5wkOeztKzkfzZuDTy5oK7eJSz8nRgSnUJQn5lTvtLl~~OmLkOweMVOkw04s3RwKJH5z7g~R2xGdfETdeKv25Cl2q8c4T6HJZy4qmhkOD1myTmiyA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Economic Opportunity Committee approved its 2025 calendar during the March 21 meeting at Austin City Hall.

The motion to approve “item number 1 — the 2025 calendar year” was offered by Councilmember Harper Madison and seconded by Councilmember Jose Velasquez. The committee chair called for the question and the committee approved the calendar by voice vote; the chair recorded the motion as passing.

The meeting was called to order at 10:01 a.m. with a quorum of four members present (Chair Kadri, Vice Chair Fuentes, Councilmembers Jose Velasquez and Harper Madison). The meeting adjourned at 11:46 a.m.

This action was routine approval of the committee’s annual calendar; no additional material policy decisions were made on the item.","The Economic Opportunity Committee voted to approve its 2025 meeting calendar by voice vote; motion by Councilmember Harper Madison, second by Councilmember Jose Velasquez. Meeting called to order at 10:01 a.m. with a quorum of four and adjourned at 11:46 a.m.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6627202,"Austin creates Office of Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment to centralize cultural programs",1266,4906000,6172000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2729985-b0ce3ad3f7a29b4ed3e3fac6c695d392&start=4906&end=6172","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2729985-b0ce3ad3f7a29b4ed3e3fac6c695d392/thumbnail_4906000.jpg","/articles/6627202/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Austin-creates-Office-of-Arts-Culture-Music-and-Entertainment-to-centralize-cultural-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6627202-134e8d4deb0a6ffe8fc5c3635e7dd8a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770451639&Signature=XA4f8ja6A5un0lIdlN1Tc3nbL6MngLVc0Nn-RfSM196RKqwpM5hIF-TYzK1bMRhSvDh8UYXECvULjIeyJY~lqPlVbDXwmk~~1mAJAAhvZwacAxKYQCEcDxxP64SNPy6tpusa0buk5av3dWppQkup~3ldDTI8siaAjrv~073FwqSVoB8gtl92qhDopOIzOJR9ac4DA2a66~3X0Mm~w05kNtWVp6xgrVagU~liFgGDIZ0Py6Gkq5D9-EOJl1InjC4BzWg5Ijd-5EixQrcw6DLuogaixjvgix-Tr7KN3RafdiuQ7~~cw~7sGHDQbFWwtE3X6ttUbNa0fOK2YoveJc1~6w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Angela Means, director of the newly formed Office of Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment (ACME), briefed the Economic Opportunity Committee on March 21 on the office’s structure and early priorities after the office’s formal establishment Feb. 24.

Means said ACME centralizes arts, cultural, music and entertainment functions previously dispersed across five departments — Economic Development, Parks and Recreation, Development Services, Austin Public Library and Aviation — to create a single office supporting artists, cultural organizations and events. The office is organized into three broad areas that staff described as Arts, Funding, Music & Events; Cultural Education & Programs; and administrative support.

Means listed a set of cultural facilities and programs that will be aligned under the new office, including the African American Cultural and Heritage Facility (George Washington Carver Museum), the Mexican American Cultural Center, the Asian American Resource Center, Daugherty Arts Center, multiple museums, and event‑related teams such as the Austin Center for Events. She said ACME will review grant guidelines and the Art in Public Places (AIPP) program with an eye toward accessibility, transparency and impact and that the review of grant program guidelines should be complete by this summer.

Councilmembers raised questions about facility ownership and asset management for venues such as the Millennium Youth Entertainment Center. Means said the Millennium currently remains in Parks and Recreation’s portfolio but that the office will evaluate facilities where management or program focus suggests a later transition to ACME. Means said ACME will explore funding options, including grants, sponsorships and private‑sector partnerships, and emphasized community engagement and phased implementation across planning, launch and growth phases.

The briefing was informational; the committee did not take formal action on the office’s organization or budgets at this meeting.","The city announced a new Office of Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment (ACME), effective Feb. 24, consolidating arts and cultural functions from five departments and launching a review of grant guidelines, Art in Public Places and facility assets.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Travis County begins phased rollout of voter-approved Prop A childcare fund, seeks community input

Workforce Solutions outlines Infrastructure Academy launch, career navigation and childcare supports

Economic Opportunity Committee approves 2025 calendar

Austin creates Office of Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment to centralize cultural programs