East Texas child advocacy groups discuss proposition that would grant tax relief to daycares

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - A bill passed in the 88th legislative session known as Proposition 2 will be on the ballot in just a few short weeks for Texans to vote on.

Kim Kofron, the Senior Director of Education for Children at Risk said this proposition would provide property tax relief for daycare centers.

“So, Proposition 2 will give city and county officials the authority to enact 50 to 100 precent of property tax relief for city or county taxes to childcare centers,” Kofron said.

Kofron said during the COVID 19 pandemic, 20 precent of childcare providers in the state went out of business. In response, the federal government provided funds to help the remaining businesses that stayed open. That funding has now run out and childcare facilities are struggling once again.

Dakota Finney, owner and director of Little Rascals Learning Center, said now that their funding has ended, they struggle to keep workers and can’t help their low-income families.

“I believe we would be able to provide those reliefs to our parents, provide additional reliefs and benefits to our staff that they absolutely deserve. So, it would be a tremendous benefit to both involved,” Finney said.

Finney said they recently had to raise their prices by $20 a week, which can cause a strain on people.

Andria Horton, executive director for Champions For Children, said even if Prop 2 doesn’t pass they will continue this fight.

“I’ve learned that the childcare industry is a resilient group of people who are committed to serving our children well, and so whatever happens with proposition two, childcares will continue to be there for our families,” Horton said.

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