Local 85 adds child care stipends for apprentices

By AI, Created 9:59 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – TOOTRiS and Local 85 expanded their partnership in Atlanta to give apprentices monthly child care stipends, aimed at helping working parents stay in training and finish apprenticeship programs. The move comes as trades face persistent labor shortages and child care costs continue to push some workers out of the pipeline.

Why it matters: - Child care costs can make it harder for apprentices to finish multiyear training programs, especially while pay is still low. - Local 85 is targeting that pressure point with monthly stipends that can help working parents stay in the trades. - The benefit is aimed at retention at a time when more than 50% of workers in apprenticeship-style programs do not complete them.

What happened: - TOOTRiS expanded its partnership with Local 85, an Atlanta-based local of SMART International, to provide enhanced child care benefits for apprentices. - Local 85 members already have access to the TOOTRiS platform through SMART International. - The expanded benefit adds monthly child care subsidies for apprentices. - The announcement was made May 5, 2026, in Atlanta, Tennessee, according to the release.

The details: - TOOTRiS connects families to more than 230,000 unique child care options nationwide. - The platform includes care that fits non-traditional hours. - Families can search for in-home programs, traditional centers, before- and after-school care, nannies and other options. - TOOTRiS and its concierge team help families find child care in real time based on schedules and job locations. - Local 85’s stipend is applied per child. - Year 1 apprentices receive $400 per month. - Year 2 apprentices receive $300 per month. - Year 3 apprentices receive $200 per month. - Year 4 apprentices receive $100 per month. - Local 85 apprentice Kristopher Baxter, in his second year in the trades, and his wife Brittany have three young children. - Brittany Baxter said the benefit helps the family pay for child care and tutoring and makes it easier to search for providers. - Kristopher Baxter said the stipend helps the family catch up on bills and save money.

Between the lines: - The partnership is designed to reduce one of the biggest barriers to apprenticeship completion: the strain of balancing low early-career wages with family expenses. - The stipend structure increases support during the earliest years, when apprentices are most likely to leave the industry. - The focus on child care also reflects a broader workforce issue, as skilled trades shortages are projected to approach half a million workers per year over the next decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. - The White House has also set a goal of adding one million new apprentices nationwide, signaling broader federal attention on workforce development. - The release frames child care support as a retention tool for employers as much as a family benefit.

What’s next: - Local 85 apprentices can use the expanded benefit as the stipend program rolls out. - Employers and organizations offering child care benefits may be able to offset costs through the 45F Employer Provided Child Care Tax Credit, which can return up to 50% of qualified investments. - TOOTRiS is positioning the partnership as a model for helping employers support working parents and keep apprentices in training.

The bottom line: - Local 85 is betting that child care help can keep more apprentices in the pipeline and in the skilled trades.