On August 14th, CHILDREN AT RISK gathered leaders, advocates, and changemakers from across Texas and beyond for our annual Early Childhood Education Summit: Seeds of Change – Cultivating Big Ideas for Little Learners. Together, we explored what’s next for young children and families in our state—and how we can continue building a future where every child has the opportunity to thrive.

The morning opened with Kim Kofron, Senior Director of Education at CHILDREN AT RISK, who reminded us that “one in 10 children live in a child care desert. The work happens in the interim… the time is now to do the work to increase quality.”

This year’s summit came at a powerful moment: following a historic $100 million investment in child care services secured during the recent legislative session, Texas is poised to take bold steps toward improving how early education is funded, coordinated, and delivered.

Texas Representative Armando Walle joined us for a candid conversation about what it takes to make progress at the Capitol. He shared both the challenges and hope he sees ahead: “It’s critical that child care be a part of our priorities going forward… We want it to be sustainable. We don’t want it to be a one shot.”

His reflections underscored a key theme of the summit: that sustained advocacy, paired with strong partnerships, will shape the future for Texas families.

In the Keynote Conversation, Elliot Haspel, Senior Fellow at Capita, pushed us to think beyond economics and toward a more holistic vision of care. “Child care doesn’t actually work as a market good, and we’re still living with that legacy,” he said. He invited attendees to ask the big questions: What if we built a system that truly centered families? What if care was recognized as essential to strong communities, not just an individual responsibility?

We also heard from Tonya Williams of the Arkansas Department of Education and Amy Jacobs of Georgia’s Department of Early Care and Learning. They shared practical lessons on what it takes to strengthen early childhood systems across states—from overcommunicating with providers to embracing collaboration. As Jacobs noted, “It’s not a competition. It’s taken a long time, but it’s not a competition.”

Following this discussion was a community advocate interview that brought passion and lived experience to the forefront. Dr. Libbie Sonnier, CEO of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, reminded us to always keep providers and families in the conversation: “As we are thinking about smart policies and leading with research and data, right up there is prioritizing conversations with families and providers.”

Rochelle Wilcox, Founder of Wilcox Academy of Early Learning and 4PXP, spoke from the heart: “At the end of the day, our children deserve the best that we can offer them. Brain development is at its highest in those first thousand days, and children deserve people that will care for them, and fight for them.”

As we closed the summit, one truth was clear: the seeds we plant today—in policy, advocacy, and community partnerships—will shape the future for generations of children. With continued commitment, collaboration, and vision, Texas can become the very best place to raise a family.

We’re grateful to every speaker, partner, and participant who joined us. Together, we’re cultivating big ideas for little learners.