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Local Trades Aim to Draw in Young Families by Expanding Child Care Benefit
LOCAL 85 in Atlanta expands TOOTRiS Child Care Benefit
Local 85 introduces new support with TOOTRiS for apprentices in training
Child Care is extremely expensive, and to have a benefit that not only helps us pay for it, but also helps us search and choose providers on an easy-to-use platform takes away so much stress.”
— Brittany Baxter, wife of a Local 85 member
ATLANTA, TN, UNITED STATES, May 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- TOOTRiS, the nation’s largest Child Care platform, and the only platform showing real-time availability, announced an expanded partnership with Local 85, an Atlanta-based local of SMART International, to provide enhanced Child Care Benefits for apprentices.
Apprentices are workers who learn their trade on the job while completing multiyear training programs. Pay is typically lower during these early years, with full earning potential often not reached until year five. Combined with the rising cost of Child Care and long work shifts, many struggle to complete their training.
In fact, nationally, more than 50 percent of workers enrolled in apprenticeship style training programs do not complete them. Local 85’s new benefit is designed to address that challenge directly.
Local 85 members already have access to the TOOTRiS platform through SMART International. This expansion builds on the existing benefit by adding monthly Child Care subsidies for apprentices, providing added support during the years when workers are most likely to leave the industry.
For Local 85 apprentice Kristopher Baxter, currently in his second year in the trades, and his wife Brittany, parents of three young children, the new benefit is helping them manage the realities of long commutes, demanding schedules, and the rising cost of raising a family. Because the stipend is applied per child, the impact for their family is multiplied.
“It’s truly been an amazing experience,” said Brittany Baxter, Kristopher’s wife. “Child Care is extremely expensive, tutoring is expensive, and to have a benefit that not only helps us pay for it, but also helps us search and choose providers on an easy-to-use platform takes away so much stress.”
“It helps us catch up on bills, save money, and not feel like you’re suffocating because bills don’t stop,” added Kristopher Baxter.
TOOTRiS connects families to more than 230,000 unique Child Care options nationwide, including care that fits non-traditional hours. Whether parents are looking for in-home programs, traditional centers, before-and-after school care, nannies, or more, TOOTRiS and its concierge team help families find Child Care that fits their schedules and job locations in real time.
Under the program, Local 85 will provide graduated monthly Child Care stipends based on year in training, applied per child:
• Year 1: $400 per month
• Year 2: $300 per month
• Year 3: $200 per month
• Year 4: $100 per month
“We see how hard our apprentices are working to build a life and a career at the same time,” said Steve Langley, Business Manager of Local 85. “If we can ease even one of the pressures they’re carrying, especially for working parents, that’s worth doing. This is about standing behind our members when it matters most.”
“When Child Care is out of reach, working parents are forced to make impossible choices,” said Alessandra Lezama, CEO of TOOTRiS. “Benefits like this give families stability, and they give employers a way to support their workforce in a meaningful, measurable way.”
A Growing National Focus on Apprenticeship Retention
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, annual skilled trades shortages are projected to approach half a million workers per year over the next decade, reinforcing the importance of keeping apprentices in the pipeline once they begin training.
In response, the White House has rolled out an executive order prioritizing workforce development, including a goal of boosting apprenticeship participation by one million new apprentices nationwide*.
To help support solutions like the one launched by Local 85, federal incentives have also expanded. Through the 45F Employer Provided Child Care Tax Credit, employers and organizations offering Child Care Benefits can receive up to 50 percent back on qualified investments**.
About TOOTRiS:
TOOTRiS is the nation’s only real-time Child Care platform, home to more than 230,000 unique providers nationwide. TOOTRiS connects parents, providers, employers, and states through free technology that helps families find and afford care, supports providers with business tools, and enables employers to deliver meaningful Child Care Benefits***.
***- https://tootris.com/
Jeff McAdam
TOOTRiS
+1 720-988-0984
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SMART Local 85 Child Care Benefit
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