Early Childhood Education
The brain’s architecture is built during a child’s first 1000 days
Early Childhood Education lays the foundation for a child’s future. CHILDREN AT RISK is working to ensure every child and family has access to affordable high-quality early education programs and strengthening an early childhood workforce that is prepared, rewarded, and supported.
Children under 5 live in Texas
Low-income children 0-6 live in a child care desert
%
of child care workers qualify for at least one form of public assistance
Exposure to high-quality early childhood education is the foundation to future academic success, especially for children from low-income backgrounds. In the early stages of development, a child’s brain is malleable, and early engagement can buffer the adverse effects associated with growing up in poverty. Children who participate in high-quality early childhood programs on average have higher high-school graduation rates, lower enrollment in special education programs, and lower rates of behavioral issues later in life.
CHILDREN AT RISK’s Early Childhood Education team works to ensure every family has access to high-quality, affordable child care and an early education workforce that is prepared, rewarded, and supported.
The C@R Early Childhood Education Team...
Analyzes the current state of Early Childhood Education in Texas, maps child care deserts, identifies innovative practices and monitors government regulations and funding streams.
Connects early education providers and fellow advocates with information on innovative practices and builds consensus to develop a common policy agenda.
Advocates for state and federal policies that increase access to affordable, quality child care and early education workforce that is prepared, rewarded, and supported.
Our Latest Early Childhood Education Research & Resources
Child Care Closure Map
Our Latest Early Childhood Education Research & Resources
Quality Child Care & the 88th Texas Legislature
*Most recent Texas House and Senate District Profiles can be found here. In the 87th legislative session, CHILDREN AT RISK championed legislation that improved accessibility and quality of early childhood education in Texas. This session, our priorities are to help...
Investing in Teachers who are Charged with Child Development & School Readiness
by Patrick Gill, CHILDREN AT RISK In the recently released report, Building Brains & Economies: Quality Child Care as an Engine for Economic Development in a 21st Century Texas, CHILDREN AT RISK examines how quality child care can be leveraged to drive Texas’s...
Only 10% of Eligible Children in Texas Receive Child Care Assistance
by Patrick Gill, CHILDREN AT RISK In the recently released report, Building Brains & Economies: Quality Child Care as an Engine for Economic Development in a 21st Century Texas, CHILDREN AT RISK examines how quality child care can be leveraged to drive Texas’s...
Quality ECE Can Transform the Future Workforce of Texas
by Patrick Gill and Shay Everitt, CHILDREN AT RISK In the recently released report, Building Brains & Economies: Quality Child Care as an Engine for Economic Development in a 21st Century Texas, CHILDREN AT RISK examines how quality child care can be leveraged to...
Most Texas Families Cannot Afford Child Care
By Patrick Gill and Shay Everitt, CHILDREN AT RISK In the recently released report, Building Brains & Economies: Quality Child Care as an Engine for Economic Development in a 21st Century Texas, CHILDREN AT RISK examines how quality child care can be leveraged to...
Early Childhood Stakeholders Urge Texas Leaders to Improve Child Care Quality
In a letter to the Governor, state legislators, and health and human services leaders, 23 organizations and stakeholders in the early childhood field urged for improved childcare quality following a recent Austin American-Statesman investigation into the consequences of lax state policy and oversight of child care.
Building Brains & Economies
On a nine-city tour, CHILDREN AT RISK unveiled an executive summary of their upcoming report, Building Brains and Economies: Quality Child Care as an Engine for Economic Development in a 21st Century Texas, as well as a mapping tool to help local and state leaders...
HB 357 Pre-K Eligibility for First Responders
HB 357
SB 940 Early Childhood Transparency and Coordination
Pre-K in Texas: A Critical Component for Academic Success
With funding from the Meadows Foundation, researchers at CHILDREN AT RISK engaged in a study to examine how participation in Texas public Pre-K is associated with performance on the 3rd Grade STAAR Reading assessment. CHILDREN AT RISK tracked approximately 47,000...