Pensacola mayor creates new position & program focused on quality, affordable child care
Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves is launching a child care access program to expand child care options across the city.
Reeves made the announcement May 8 as the city is preparing to host a child care summit on May 28 to develop policies to improve child care access.
"Access to affordable, quality childcare is not just a family issue – it's an economic issue,' Reeves said. 'By aligning city resources and targeting available funding from the Escambia Children's Trust, we will build the kind of infrastructure to allow Pensacola families to thrive and our economy to grow.'
Reeves said the city would seek to use funding from the Community Redevelopment Agency as well as the Escambia Children's Trust to tackle the issue.
Improving child care access: Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves to host a child care summit to find ways to expand access
The program, which is officially called the "Mayor's Childcare Access Program" will prioritize:
Supporting and expanding existing childcare centers in underserved areas, particularly within the CRA district.
Providing direct grants and technical assistance to childcare providers to improve capacity, quality and workforce development.
Partnering with local employers to incentivize on-site or subsidized childcare solutions.
Connecting families with trusted childcare resources and streamlining access to available subsidies and scholarships
Reeves has also created a new city position called the education and youth program officer and has hired Theresa Cserep for the role. Cserep has previously worked at the University of West Florida and the Florida Department of Children and Families.
"Theresa's passion and expertise make her the ideal person to help us build a more supportive environment for Pensacola's youngest residents,' Reeves said. 'This is about investing in our future – starting with the very first years of life.'
Reeves said that beyond the summit on May 28, the city can bring physical infrastructure to expand child care, like the Alice S. Williams Library, which the city is in the process of restoring, the old Baptist Hospital campus, and a commercial revitalization project planned in Brownsville.
Reeves said he believes it's an important issue for the city to tackle because education and childcare are among the biggest reasons people decide where to live.
"I grew up in this community with the understanding of why people live in other counties because of education, and this is something that doesn't have to just be, 'How we've always done it,'" Reeves said. "... We don't have to accept that. We can do the best that we can, and if increasing child care access makes it easier and more accessible for people to live in our city and to stay in our city, that's what we're looking at doing."
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves launches child care access program
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The President said he would decide in the next two weeks whether the US will enter the Israel-Iran war. The mid-cap FTSE 250 rose by 0.3pc to 21,134.88. Thomas Pugh, economist at RSM, said shoppers are being hit by a weaker economy, which bodes ill for retailers. 'The outlook for consumer spending growth is less rosy than it has been in the first half of the year. Inflation is now back at 3.4pc and will rise further over the summer, mainly driven by tax rises, higher utility bills and now more expensive petrol,' he said. 'That will eat into consumers' disposable income. At the same time, the labour market is clearly cooling. This will weigh on wage growth and employment over the rest of the year.' Treasury borrowing was the second highest ever for the month of May as public spending outweighed tax receipts despite increases in National Insurance contributions imposed on businesses by the Chancellor in her Budget. ONS deputy director for public sector finances Rob Doody said: 'Last month saw the public sector borrow £700m more than at the same time last year, with only 2020, affected as it was by Covid-19, seeing higher May borrowing in the time since monthly records began. 'While receipts were up, thanks partly to higher income tax revenue and National Insurance contributions, spending was up more, affected by increased running costs and inflation-linked uplifts to many benefits.' Retail sales dropped by 2.7pc last month as gloomy weather kept shoppers away from the high street, in May in a fresh blow to shopkeepers already struggling with higher taxes. It represents a sharp fall from strong sales in April, when growth of 1.3pc was boosted by sunny weather and the timing of the Easter holidays. Every category of sales dropped, according to the Office for National Statistics, with food stores reporting a fall of 5pc, department stores 1.5pc and clothes shops 1.8pc. Consumers particularly cut back on alcohol and tobacco, the ONS said, while online sales also shrank in a sign households did not simply replace trips to the shops with internet purchases instead. Compared with May 2024, retail sales were down 1.3pc. Rachel Reeves's tight spending plans mean tax rises are 'likely' later this year following the overshoot in Treasury borrowing last month, economists have said. Capital Economics has predicted the Chancellor could need to raise between £13bn and £23bn in her next Budget in the autumn just to maintain her £9.9bn buffer in the public finances. It warned the OBR may still revise up its borrowing forecasts from March in the Budget after the recent rise in gilt yields on bond markets – a benchmark for the cost of government borrowing. UK economist Alex Kerr said: 'We doubt it will get much better for the Chancellor anytime soon, as her £9.9bn buffer against her fiscal mandate may be wiped out at the Autumn Budget. 'The U-turns on benefit and welfare spending, downward revisions to the OBR's productivity forecasts and higher borrowing costs may mean to maintain her current £9.9bn buffer, Reeves has to raise £13-23bn later this year. 'And with the gilt market sensitive to significant increases in borrowing, all this means tax rises are looking increasingly likely.' The Chief Secretary to the Treasury said the latest borrowing figures showed the Government has 'stabilised the economy and the public finances'. Treasury borrowing was higher than OBR forecasts in May but was better than expected during the first two months of the financial year. Public sector borrowing was reached £37.7bn in April and May, which was £1.6bn more than the same period last year but £2.9bn less than the £40.7bn forecast by the OBR. Darren Jones said: 'Since taking office, we have taken the right decisions to protect working people, begin repairing the NHS, and fix the foundations to rebuild Britain. We stabilised the economy and the public finances; now we need to ensure that the British economy delivers for working people. 'Last week's Spending Review showed how we are investing in the UK's security, health, and the economy through our Plan for Change, so that people are better off.' The Government's tax receipts hit £82.5bn in May, which was £5.3bn more than in the same month last year. Income tax receipts increased by £1.9bn, with VAT up by £800m and corporation tax receipts higher by £600m. So-called compulsory social contributions, largely made of National Insurance contributions (Nics), increased by £3.9bn to £30.2bn. Rachel Reeves's changes to Nics announced in her October Budget came into force on April 6. The Treasury borrowed more than expected during the month of May, official figures show, despite increasing receipts from Rachel Reeves's tax raid. Public sector net borrowing was £600m higher last month than the £17.1bn that had been forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility. It was also £700m higher than May last year. Thanks for joining me. Rachel Reeves will shortly find out how much the Treasury has borrowed during the first two months of the year. Here is what you need to know: Britain's biggest bank to cut UK investments in snub to Reeves | Lloyds' pension arm will shift investments to better-performing markets 'Henrys' ditch Starmer as Labour taxes them to oblivion | Aspirational young voters feel hoodwinked by the PM's promise of 'wealth creation' Crown Estate to build hundreds of giant wind farms off Cornish coast | Offshore turbines likely to be visible from popular holiday resorts in South West and Wales Carney threatens to raise tariffs on US if Trump talks fail | Canadian PM prepares for month-long series of negotiations with the president Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: We are witnessing the death of American democracy | There are parallels but also differences between Trump's America and Germany in the early 1930s Crude oil prices rose and Asian shares were trading mixed as investors awaited more clarity on whether or not the US will join Israel's war against Iran. Wall Street was closed on Thursday for the Juneteenth holiday but U.S. benchmark crude oil added 15 cents to $73.65 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, was up 19 cents at $76.89 per barrel amid fears that the conflict between Israel and Iran could disrupt the global flow of oil. Investors remained wary after the White House said President Donald Trump could decide on whether to launch an attack on Israel within the next two weeks. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index edged 0.1pc higher to 38,538.14 after Japan reported that its core inflation rate, excluding volatile food prices, rose to 3.7pc in May, adding to challenges for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's government and the central bank. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index jumped 1.2pc to 23,504.59, while the Shanghai Composite gained 0.1pc, reversing earlier losses, to 3,364.83. China's central bank kept its key one-year and five-year loan prime rates unchanged, as expected. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.3pc to 8,500.40 while South Korea's Kospi gained 1.2pc to 3,014.05. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
