Talarico toured Green Space Nature Preschool and gardened alongside young children before addressing the media, describing childcare and early childhood education as not only an education issue but an economic issue. When asked what his top policy priority would be if elected, he pointed to universal childcare for all families. He wants to ensure families don\u2019t pay more than 7% of their total income on pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds.<\/p>\n
![\"James](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/FTW_01-AED_TalaricoChildcarePresser.JPG\" "\\"FTW_01-AED_TalaricoChildcarePresser.JPG\\"")
Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico helps preschoolers Catalina Cortes and Amelia Abeyta, both 4 years old, garden at Green Space Nature Preschool on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Fort Worth. Talarico, a state representative from the Austin area, was a sponsor of Proposition 2, which allows local governments to provide property tax relief to eligible childcare providers, and was approved in a voter referendum in 2023. Abigail Dollins Fort Worth Star-Telegram <\/p>\n
\u201cI think we have a real opportunity at the federal level to bring Democrats and Republicans together to pass universal childcare for every single family in this country, regardless of the ZIP code that you\u2019re born into, regardless of your skin color, regardless of what language you may speak,\u201d Talarico said.<\/p>\n
The annual cost of center-based childcare in Texas is about $11,350, while home-based care is about $10,000, according to the First Five Years Fund<\/a>. While families feel the pinch in their wallets, Texas businesses experience employee turnover<\/a> and understaffing due to a lack of accessible and affordable childcare that would allow their employees to go to work. Texas is estimated to be losing out on about $9.4 billion annually as a result, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation<\/a>.<\/p>\n Talarico highlighted legislation he spearheaded<\/a> that led to a 2023 voter-approved measure, Proposition 2<\/a>, allowing local governments to provide property tax relief to eligible childcare providers. The measure was approved by almost 65% of Texas voters, and multiple Texas cities and counties, including Fort Worth and Tarrant County, have implemented either partial or full exemptions since.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is cutting taxes for small businesses like this one \u2014 childcare providers that are doing essential work for our tiniest Texans, for our working parents all over the state. This is the kind of public policy that we need. Policies that actually help working people, that help lower costs, that help serve the future of this state,\u201d Talarico said.<\/p>\n Green Space Nature Preschool was among the recipients of this property tax relief, and as a result, the money that would\u2019ve been spent on taxes was invested in early educators while keeping tuition costs at more affordable rates to families, said owner and founder Audrey Rowland.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are providing a critical public good, even though we\u2019re doing it as private citizens who are mortgaging our houses and working second jobs so that we can keep our childcare centers open. That\u2019s the reality of having a childcare center,\u201d Rowland said. \u201c(Proposition 2) was a reinforcement that childcare for voters is a bipartisan issue. It may not quite be yet for legislators, but it absolutely is for voters. And it\u2019s important to every Texan to have high-quality childcare, whether you have children or not.\u201d<\/p>\n Other policy initiatives announced by Talarico include:<\/p>\n Eliminating childcare deserts in Texas by utilizing federal and state subsidies through the Child Care for Working Families Act<\/a>Expanding tax credits such as the Child Tax Credit, Child and Dependent Care Credit and the Earned Income Tax CreditProtecting and increasing federal childcare investments to the Child Care Development Fund and Head Start, a federal program that provides childcare to low-income familiesContinuing expansion of the Section 45F Employer-Provided Child Care Tax Credit<\/a> to support workforce participation<\/p>\n This story was originally published July 21, 2026 at 12:54 PM.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n![\"James](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/FTW_07-AED_TalaricoChildcarePresser.JPG\" "\\"FTW_07-AED_TalaricoChildcarePresser.JPG\\"")
James Talarico speaks about childcare costs and Proposition 2, alongside Green Space Nature Preschool owner Audrey Rowland on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Fort Worth. Talarico was a sponsor of Proposition 2, which allows local governments to provide property tax relief to eligible childcare providers, and was approved in a voter referendum in 2023. Abigail Dollins Fort Worth Star-Telegram <\/p>\n![\"Amelia](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/FTW_04-AED_TalaricoChildcarePresser.JPG\" "\\"FTW_04-AED_TalaricoChildcarePresser.JPG\\"")
Amelia Abeyta and Catalina Cortes, both 4 years old, water plants in the garden at their preschool, Green Space Nature Preschool, on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Fort Worth. Abigail Dollins Fort Worth Star-Telegram <\/p>\n![\"James](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/FTW_08-AED_TalaricoChildcarePresser.JPG\" "\\"FTW_08-AED_TalaricoChildcarePresser.JPG\\"")
James Talarico speaks about childcare costs and Proposition 2, which allows local governments to provide property tax relief to eligible childcare providers, at Green Space Nature Preschool on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Fort Worth. Talarico was a sponsor of Proposition 2, which was approved in a voter referendum in 2023. Abigail Dollins Fort Worth Star-Telegram <\/p>\n
![\"Profile](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ST_Lina_Ruis.jpg\")