MEMPHIS, Tenn. — In a little less than a year, about 100 parents will start receiving a monthly childcare stipend, which Mayor Lee Harris believes will help support families and offset their monthly childcare cost.
Mayor Harris made the announcement Wednesday, May 18 at a working mothers appreciation brunch that he hosted downtown.
"The critical piece is that a lot of moms really have a hard time having access to childcare, daycare at an affordable price," Mayor Harris said. "One of the things we're trying to do is subsidize childcare cost for some of our families."
Mayor Harris said that the new child care benefit is in a pilot phase, but it is only the beginning.
According to the Mayor, his administration is looking to provide families with about $300 a month towards childcare expenses.
The average parent who does not receive childcare assistance through the state spends, at the least, $600 per month in childcare for one child.
Childcare is more expensive for infants, making it difficult for mothers who have to return to work soon after birthing their babies.
Parents with multiple children pay just as much in rent and mortgage as they do in monthly childcare cost.
In the first wave, Mayor Harris said that as he recognizes rising inflation, he will focus on providing aid to families who qualify and who are in the most need based on income.