Vern Buchanan Meets with Community leaders to Discuss Childcare Crisis

February 21, 2024 – Sarasota

U.S. Representative Vern Buchanan recently met with 37 community leaders from Manatee and Sarasota counties to discuss the current childcare crisis in the region given the early learning sector’s workforce shortage, lack of providers, and rising cost of care. The gathering was organized by the Manatee Community Foundation (MCF), which hosted the event, the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance (LWRBA), and the Women’s Resource Center (WRC). Attendees included senior executives from local chambers, economic development corporations, community foundations, the early learning coalitions, school districts, and nonprofits for both counties.

Representative Buchanan highlighted the recent passage of the bipartisan Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act in the House. This will allow more families to access the existing $2,000 Child Tax Credit to help parents pay for childcare costs. The legislation must now pass in the Senate in order to be enacted.

The Tampa Bay Partnership facilitated the meeting and United Way Suncoast presented key metrics, including preschool participation rates and the percentage of ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) individuals living in the area, representing the working families below the poverty line struggling to find affordable childcare. The average childcare cost for the region is approximately $1,450/month, or almost one fourth of the entire household budget for a 2-parent, 2-child working family.

While not able to attend the gathering due to session, state Representative Fiona McFarland delivered a video message to the group, from Tallahassee, explaining her current proposed bill (HB 635) which provides tax credits for corporations providing or paying for childcare. This legislation is currently under review in the legislature’s Appropriations Committee.

LWRBA CEO Brittany Lamont announced that she has launched a taskforce to engage directly with local employers on innovative solutions to address the lack of capacity at local childcare centers. And WRC CEO Ashley Brown shared her organization’s policy strategy, emphasizing the importance of collaborative

advocacy efforts and citing the impact of recent regional efforts around benefits cliff mitigation and affordable housing.

“We are committed to leveraging the power of partnerships across all sectors to advocate for improved affordability and access to childcare for the working families in Manatee and Sarasota counties,” shared MCF’s leader Veronica Thames. “This issue has a direct impact on workforce availability, and early learning for grade-level reading readiness, and its resolution would afford ALICE the opportunity to improve their quality of life, and our bi-county area’s future,” she added.

Participants expressed a desire for the partners to have a unified voice in their advocacy efforts and discussed practical solutions to improve the sector. Congressman Buchanan committed to continue collaborating with community leaders on opportunities to further explore federal support.

For information on ways to invest in our community and to participate in future convenings on this topic contact Manatee Community Foundation at MCFInfo@ManateeCF.org or visit www.ManateeCF.org.

Photo Captions:

· (Left to right): Ashely Brown (CEO, Women’s Resource Center), U.S. Representative Vern Buchanan, Brittany Lamont (CEO, Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance), and Veronica Thames (Executive Director, Manatee Community Foundation) at a recent meeting to discuss the current childcare crisis in the region.

· U.S. Representative Vern Buchanan recently met with 37 community leaders from Manatee and Sarasota counties at the Manatee Community Foundation to discuss the current childcare crisis in the region. The gathering was organized by the Manatee Community Foundation, Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, and the Women’s Resource Center.