San Antonio is home to more than 700 child care centers, with more than 80% of them small businesses and many of them family-owned. They have been lovingly ensuring that our children from birth up to age 5 are well cared for.
But during the pandemic, due to significant enrollment declines, as much as 20% of San Antonio day care centers closed. A survey by the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children of 123 early childhood care providers in Bexar County found 27% of day care centers reported that they were likely to close as a result of the drop in pandemic-era federal funding. Those that remain open may need to raise tuition prices to stay afloat, which will put additional strain on working parents.
San Antonio has a chance to help keep these much-needed child care centers open and affordable by voting in favor of Proposition 2 on the statewide ballot in the Nov. 7 election.
Proposition 2 gives local governments the authority to exempt from property taxation all or part of the appraised value of property used to operate a child care facility. While this will not solve the financial challenges that early childhood care centers and the families they serve are facing, it is a strong step in the right direction.
As the board chairs of Early Matters San Antonio, United Way, Workforce Solutions Alamo and PreK 4 SA, we are each deeply involved with early childhood care and development. Our organizations work with and serve the hundreds of child care centers providing care and early development for tens of thousands of our youngest across our city.
More than 85% of a human’s brain development takes place before they enter their first day of kindergarten. This brain development sets them on their course for learning, interpersonal ability, self-control, curiosity and grit. With more than 60% of today’s young children having all available parents in the workforce, child care centers provide the opportunity for these tens of thousands of parents to trust the well-trained hands of early childhood professionals while they create economic mobility for their families and strengthen our workforce.
Texans have the opportunity to provide those centers the opportunity to be exempt from city and county property taxes. We can acknowledge the critical role that early childhood care centers play in supporting our families, our businesses and our local communities by granting them this tax relief. Please vote and cast your ballot in favor of Proposition 2. Our youngest learners, today’s workforce and tomorrow’s leaders are counting on us.
