Jacksonville unveils River City Care to ease child care costs—without new taxpayer spending
Jacksonville FL – Mayor Donna Deegan unveiled River City Care, a push for more affordable, easier child care—without recommending new taxpayer spending.
Jacksonville’s child care system is getting a new citywide organizing strategy. Mayor Donna Deegan on June 25, 2026 released findings from the City’s Childcare Solutions for Early Learning Task Force and announced “River City Care,” an initiative aimed at making child care more affordable, more available, and easier to navigate for Jacksonville families.
Deegan also emphasized that the effort is not a call for expanded government spending. The City says River City Care is meant to align multiple stakeholders—employers, philanthropy, providers, educators, health leaders, faith communities, and parents—rather than relying on the government to solve the problem alone.
The problem Jacksonville is targeting: costs, capacity, and disrupted work
In the announcement, the City says Jacksonville families are paying $1,000 to more than $2,400 per month per child. Many working families earn too much to qualify for help but not enough to comfortably afford care.
The Task Force frames child care as economic infrastructure. It estimates statewide child care disruptions cost Florida $5.38 billion a year in lost economic potential, including about $4.47 billion in employer costs tied to absenteeism, turnover, and lost productivity. It also says 64% of Florida parents of young children reported missing work or school because of childcare disruptions, and 15% reported leaving a job due to child care issues.
Why the workforce is strained in Duval County
River City Care is also grounded in a staffing challenge: the City says Jacksonville’s early learning workforce is being squeezed from the other direction—pay versus what families need to get by.
The announcement cites that the average early learning educator in Duval County earns about $37,767 a year, while the ALICE survival budget for a family of four in Duval County is nearly $80,000. The City says that gap contributes to experienced educators leaving the field and limits how close centers can get to full capacity.
What River City Care recommends next (the “pillars”)
River City Care is built around several specific recommendation areas. The City says the initiative would:
- Centralize navigation for families, including a centralized childcare navigation platform.
- Test affordability through a targeted pilot for infant and toddler care.
- Expand supply by focusing on high-need ZIP codes.
- Stabilize the workforce using a strategy centered on wages, credentials, and career pathways.
How the Task Force approach was organized
The Child Care Solutions for Early Learning Task Force was established by Mayor Deegan and the City to examine affordability, supply, workforce, navigation, and employer engagement across Jacksonville’s early learning system. The work is organized around five focus areas:
- Access & Supply
- Affordability & Financing
- Quality & Workforce
- Family Navigation & Supports
- Employer & Ecosystem Partnerships
The City says the Task Force held its initial meeting on November 12, 2025 and brought together childcare experts, educators, health professionals, community leaders, and working parents.
Spending clarification: “not recommending” expanded taxpayer dollars
One key point in the announcement is what the plan is not asking for. Deegan said River City Care is not calling for expanded government spending and is not recommending spending new taxpayer money on child care.
The City says existing support includes $3.5 million through Kids Hope Alliance toward early learning to the Early Learning Coalition of Duval County—something it says draws close to a $3 million state match.
What residents should watch for next
News4JAX reports the City described River City Care as a starting point, with next steps including convening the Task Force and community partners to identify objectives, map existing resources, and pursue collaborative, nonmunicipal funding strategies to expand access to high-quality early learning across Jacksonville.
For parents and caregivers, the emphasis on navigation and infant/toddler affordability suggests more help finding options and tackling the hardest-to-cover gaps. For early educators and providers, the workforce stabilization focus points to attention on wages and career pathways—but readers may need to wait for more details on what changes, when, and where.
Sources
- City of Jacksonville (Mayor Deegan) — River City Care announcement (June 25, 2026)
- News4JAX — Report on River City Care recommendations (published June 25, 2026)
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