TITLE
To express the Mayor's and City Council's support, should the voters of Richmond approve a referendum for the development and operation of a destination resort and casino in the city of Richmond, for the dedication of gaming tax revenue received from such destination resort and casino to the establishment and funding of a Child Care and Education Trust Fund, and to appropriate funding of approximately $14,000,000.00 for the construction of new early childhood care centers at T. B. Smith Community Center and Southside Community Center, $8,000,000.00 for Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities projects across the city, and an immediate investment of $4,500,000.00 into the Child Care and Education Trust Fund to expand access to affordable early childhood care and education programs across the City, totaling $26,000,000.00, as soon as Fall, 2024.
BODY
WHEREAS, the Mayor and the Council are of the opinion that there is no more important way to invest in the city of Richmond's future than to invest in its children; and
WHEREAS, decades of research show that the first five years of a child's life, when 90 percent of brain development occurs, are particularly imperative for success and high-quality early childhood learning experiences improve children's proficiency in reading and math; that such development increases the likelihood of graduating high school on time, completing postsecondary education, and gaining employment; that such development decreases the odds of substance use disorder and criminal activity; and that such development supports physical and mental health throughout life; and
WHEREAS, approximately 74 percent of Virginia's child care centers are experiencing staffing shortages and the lack of access to affordable child care keeps 68 percent of parents from working;
WHEREAS, 42 percent of Virginia's kindergarteners started the 2021 school year without foundational skills; and
WHEREAS, in centra...
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