Jordan McClay
Appearances
The Journal.
Child Care Is on the Ballot in One Texas County
I know. Do you want to wear your costume? You don't have to. You want to be a princess? Maybe we can make Usually when I come in, they'll run over and give me a hug and offer me something they've made in the kitchen. It's usually a plastic lemon, which is fine. It's great. You know, it just, it's joyful. You go in and it's a place where you want to be.
The Journal.
Child Care Is on the Ballot in One Texas County
I would say at least 80% goes to teachers, goes to salaries. And then we are not a new building. Example, you know, we had a plumbing issue, completely unexpected, and that is $10,000. Bye. And nevermind, you know, the normal air conditioning. We live in Texas. Our air conditioning is running, I would say easily nine months of the year. And when it's not, the heat is running.
The Journal.
Child Care Is on the Ballot in One Texas County
And we also have a janitor that comes every night, which is about $2,000 a month. And so generally breaking even is great. I've never worked at a center where it was a moneymaker.
The Journal.
Child Care Is on the Ballot in One Texas County
We have to have a tuition that's high enough. To pay our teachers, right? But then is also allowable for parents.
The Journal.
Child Care Is on the Ballot in One Texas County
Exactly. And it's that fine line. There's this gap.
The Journal.
Child Care Is on the Ballot in One Texas County
As you can imagine, being in a classroom alone with four infants is really hard. And it takes a really special person. Not a lot of people want to do that or have the gift that it takes to be with infants.
The Journal.
Child Care Is on the Ballot in One Texas County
She remembers when she first heard about Prop A. I cried because I think having, just having a proposition on the ballot that has to do with early childhood is huge. This is huge. Why is it huge? It's never happened. You know, it's not just our circle of early childhood professionals. This is now showing everybody, like, this is big enough that this is on the ballot. And that's amazing, you know?
The Journal.
Child Care Is on the Ballot in One Texas County
And I'm glad it's happening in Travis County, and I hope that it continues to spread. I wish it had happened sooner, but you know what? It's happening now. And I do think, I like to think that it's encouraging. You know, there's some help on the horizon.