Offering Social Services Support to Our Youth

[Emmanuel Brantley]

Dear Colleagues,

As we continue our work on the FY2027 budget, I want to express my appreciation for the thoughtful conversations taking place around our social service investments. I am encouraged by our shared commitment to meeting today's urgent needs while also pursuing the long-term structural improvements that will make these programs stronger, more effective, and more sustainable for years to come. These goals are not mutually exclusive—they reinforce one another.

As we move forward, I hope we remain especially mindful of the services that support Austin's youth. Childcare assistance, early childhood education, academic support, and behavioral health programs are investments that benefit our entire community. While the benefits to families with youth are often the most visible, the returns on these investments create lasting benefits for every single Austinite.

The youth we invest in today will become the workers, entrepreneurs, educators, public servants, and community leaders who shape Austin’s future. Offering support today helps strengthen educational attainment, skills development, workforce readiness, socioeconomic mobility, and long-term self-sufficiency.

These efforts also advance public safety by creating pathways to prevent or interrupt community violence while providing meaningful opportunities for redirection and support for youth facing mental health challenges. More than recurring expenditures, these are investments in the future we are building together. When our youth have the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed, our entire city is stronger for it.

This conversation also extends beyond individual contracts. Council has demonstrated its commitment to future generations by advancing a parks and libraries bond package that, if approved by voters, would expand access to community spaces that foster learning, recreation, and connection for decades to come.

I also hope we will continue prioritizing investment in the Carver Branch Library and Genealogy Center through its planned multi-phase expansion. As both a cultural landmark and educational resource, The Carver Center has the opportunity to expand access to lifelong learning, technology, youth programming, and intergenerational engagement in ways that complement many of the same goals we seek to achieve through our youth-serving investments.

Supporting youth is one of the most enduring investments we can make. Thank you for your willingness to continue exploring ways to preserve and strengthen these critical services while also advancing meaningful improvements to our social service system—meeting today’s needs while building a stronger framework for the future.

In Service,
Natasha Harper-Madison