Growing Up
BLOG POSTS, PRESS RELEASES, & ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CHILDREN AT RISKPress Conference: Head Start is Critical to Texas’ Academic and Economic Foundations
Child care stakeholders urge policymakers to preserve Head Start regulations in anticipation of the release of Federal Notice of the Proposed Rulemaking. Media Contacts:Morgan Gerri, 832.600.9354Rashena Franklin, 713.301.4577 TEXAS (August 5, 2026) – Ahead of any...
Liza Gomez Appointed as C@R’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer
Strategic leader to help drive organizational excellence and advance mission-driven innovation, including responsible AI adoption IMMEDIATE RELEASE Houston (July 28, 2026) CHILDREN AT RISK (C@R), a leading nonpartisan research and advocacy organization dedicated to...
Public Statement: Children Make Up 53% of Those Who No Longer Have Access to SNAP Benefits
IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 24, 2026 As SNAP participation declines across the country, Texas has experienced the steepest drop in both overall enrollment and child participation. Of the 597,353 Texans who have lost access to SNAP, 317,316 are children—more than half...
Seeds of Change: Recap of the 2026 Early Childhood Education Summit
Written by Lucy Lusk, Summer 2026 Media Fellow, CHILDREN AT RISK On June 11, CHILDREN AT RISK and Texas Prenatal-to-Three (PN-3) Collaborative, in partnership with the Texas Family Leadership Council (TXFLC), hosted the 2026 Early Childhood Education Summit: Seeds of...
Public Comments on the Sunset Advisory Commission Staff Report: Texas Workforce Commission
July 2, 2026 - CHILDREN AT RISK appreciates the Sunset Advisory Commission staff review of the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). The staff report describes ways to strengthen the administration, accountability, transparency, technology infrastructure, and coordination...
2026 Human Trafficking Sunset Recommendations
Related: Click here to read all of CHILDREN AT RISK’s recommendations for the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission.Every 12 years, most Texas state agencies undergo a comprehensive review by the Sunset Advisory Commission, a process that includes staff analysis, public...
2026 Early Childhood Sunset Recommendations
Related: Click here to read all of CHILDREN AT RISK’s recommendations for the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission.Every 12 years, most Texas state agencies undergo a comprehensive review by the Sunset Advisory Commission, a process that includes staff analysis, public...
2026 OYYA Sunset Recommendations
Related: Click here to read all of CHILDREN AT RISK’s recommendations for the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission.Every 12 years, most Texas state agencies undergo a comprehensive review by the Sunset Advisory Commission, a process that includes staff analysis, public...
System Gaps and Survivor Needs: Human Trafficking Focus Groups
System Gaps and Survivor Needs CHILDREN AT RISK conducted focus groups to better understand the experiences of survivors of Human Trafficking and the organizations that support them. These conversations included survivors and frontline service providers from across...
Growing Up in Houston 18th Edition
Growing Up in Houston: Assessing the Quality of Life of Our Children Children make up 26.4% of Harris County residents, a new report shows evidence of both the promise and pressures that Texas families face. June 4, 2026 | 18th Edition MEDIA CONTACTS Morgan Gerri,...
Keeping the Home Cool, Calm, and Collected
CHILDREN AT RISK and Harris County Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity (DEEO)’s ELQN Host Event on Emergency Planning and Summer Safety for Home-Based Child Care Providers. Written by Christina Alton, Assistant Director, Early Childhood Education & Early...
Insights from the Spring 2026 Texas Tour
Last month, CHILDREN AT RISK virtually traveled across the vast landscape of Texas, visiting 12 diverse cities to listen, learn, and engage with the people who power our child care system. From the Panhandle to the Valley, the message was clear and consistent: child...
Rupani Foundation USA and Harris County DEEO’s ELQN Hosted Family Day Event to Support Caregivers in Houston Child Care Deserts
Having trained 430 providers and 755 caregivers across 28 of Houston’s Child Care Deserts, the event highlighted local impact while celebrating families within focal communities. Media Contacts: Habiba Salman, hsalman@rupanifoundationusa.org or +1 (346) 309-8402....
Top Comedian Brings Laughs and Impact to Stand Up for Children
More than 350 guests filled The Post Oak Hotel on March 27 for an unforgettable evening of laughter and philanthropy at CHILDREN AT RISK’s annual Stand Up for Children event, raising an impressive $300,000 to support children across Texas. More than 350 guests filled...
2026 Child Care Deserts Analysis
Access to High-Quality Child Care Continues to Get More Scarce April 9, 2026 | Written by Kim Kofron, Executive Director of Early Childhood Education, and Jacob Westjohn, Associate Director of the Center for Social Measurement & Evaluation, CHILDREN AT RISK (Note:...
Press Conference: Over Half of Texas Child Care Deserts Have Persisted for Years
About 64% of child care deserts in Texas indicate chronic deficits in child care seats, according to CHILDREN AT RISK’s latest statewide analysis Media Contacts:Morgan Gerri, 832.600.9354Rashena Franklin, 713.301.4577 TEXAS (April 9, 2026) – A new analysis from...
Testimony for the Governor’s ECEC Taskforce Meeting
March 31, 2026 Good morning Mr. Holt and Committee members and thank you for having me today. My name is Kim Kofron, Executive Director of Early Childhood Education at CHILDREN AT RISK. I come before you with more than 30 years of experience in the early childhood...
Recap: Third Annual Future of San Antonio Children
Leaders from across education, health care, research, and community organizations gathered in San Antonio for the third annual Future of San Antonio event to examine the latest data on child well-being and discuss strategies to improve long-term outcomes for children...
Bexar County Child Health Initiative Report 2026
CHILDREN AT RISK (C@R), Family Service, and the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University partnered to launch the CHI in response to Community Health Needs Assessments that signaled poor mental health, nutrition, and hightened rates of chronic disease for...
Recommendations for the Texas Sunset Commission Ahead of the 90th Texas Legislature
Related: Click here to read CHILDREN AT RISK’s Texas Interim Charge RecommendationsEvery 12 years, most Texas state agencies undergo a comprehensive review by the Sunset Advisory Commission, a process that includes staff analysis, public input, and legislative...
Interim Charges for the 89th Texas Legislature
Related: Click here to read CHILDREN AT RISK’s Texas Sunset Commission Recommendations.Texas lawmakers convene once every two years for the regular Texas Legislative Session. The period between sessions, known as the Interim, is a critical time for legislative study...
Press Release: Strong Start Launch
Strong Start: Greater Houston Early Childhood Education Alliance will transform the early childhood education sector across the Greater Houston area, addressing the growing gap in child care access throughout the Gulf Coast region. Media Contacts:Morgan Gerri,...
Press Conference: Ongoing Federal Actions Put Child Well-Being at Risk
Child safety and community stability is at stake with numerous ICE policies, including the admitting that hundreds of immigrant children were detained in federal detention in Texas longer than the recommended limit. Media Contacts:Morgan Gerri, 832.600.9354Rashena...
Charting Success: Supporting the Whole Child for Academic Success
Charting Success Supporting the Whole Child for Academic ExcellenceJan 2026 - Emergent Bilingual English Learners (EBEL) —who make up nearly one in five Texas public school students—demonstrate strong engagement and resilience. They show lower rates of chronic...
Texas Early Childhood Systems: Insights from the 2025 Fall Texas Tour
CHILDREN AT RISK visited 12 local communities throughout Texas to engage in grassroots conversations centered on data and the dynamic needs of the child care workforce. Every fall, our Early Childhood Education team packs our bags and hits the road, because we know...