Thousands fewer Dallas County children could receive subsidized childcare next year as rising costs outpace available funding, according to preliminary estimates cited by the head of the region’s childcare assistance contractor.
At its July 21 meeting, the Texas Workforce Commission projected that fewer children statewide would receive childcare assistance in fiscal year 2027 as the cost of care rises, Tori Mannes, president and CEO of Dallas-based ChildCareGroup, said in a statement to The Dallas Morning News.
Final service levels have not been announced. But preliminary estimates indicate that thousands fewer children in Dallas County could receive assistance, Mannes said.
“Childcare costs are increasing faster than inflation, meaning available funding can serve fewer children,” Mannes said.
She said higher reimbursement rates for Texas Rising Star providers and increased spending on program integrity are improving quality and accountability but also raising the cost of serving each child.
Melanie Rubin, director of the North Texas Early Education Alliance, said the projected reduction could reach 3,000 children in Dallas County. Her estimate is based on the Texas Workforce Commission’s new allocation to the Greater Dallas workforce area and expected cost increases, including higher provider reimbursement rates, additional monitoring costs and a greater share of younger children needing more expensive care.
Texas Workforce Commission allocation documents show the Greater Dallas workforce area is set to receive about $143.5 million in fiscal year 2027 childcare funding, including a $3 million supplemental allocation. But Rubin said the increase does not keep pace with the costs of providing care.
Business and faith leaders are intensifying their campaign for the proposed Dallas County Children’s Fund.
Sixteen business and community organizations signed a July 25 letter urging the Dallas County Commissioners Court to put the measure before voters. The groups argued that unreliable childcare contributes to employee turnover, absenteeism and lost productivity.
The proposal would add 3 cents to the county property tax rate for every $100 of assessed value. Supporters estimate it would cost the average homeowner about $10 a month and generate roughly $132 million annually.
The money would expand childcare scholarships, support providers serving infants and toddlers and invest in after school, summer and nontraditional-hour care.
Dallas Area Interfaith leaders also say they have collected more than 4,000 petition signatures in support of the initiative. Two leaders reiterated the request during public comment at a special-called Commissioners Court meeting Thursday, though the court did not discuss the proposal or take action.
“Dallas County has a childcare crisis, and we will not stop until it is addressed.”
Commissioners have not publicly announced when they will consider ballot language. The News on Thursday emailed County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins and all four commissioners asking whether they expect to take up the measure before the ballot deadline. None responded by Friday afternoon.
This reporting is part of the Future of North Texas, a community-funded journalism initiative supported by the Commit Partnership, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Lisa and Charles Siegel, the McCune-Losinger Family Fund, The Meadows Foundation, the Perot Foundation, the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the University of Texas at Dallas. The News retains full editorial control of this coverage.