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.