April 2026 Newsletter
Harris County Department of Economic Equity & Opportunity’s
Early Learning Quality Network (ELQN)
In Partnership With
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Network Highlight
ELQN Celebrates Week of the Young Child & Baby Day!
Joining the national celebration of Week of the Young Child and Baby Day, ELQN Local Network Organizations & Vendors planned community events to highlight and celebrate young children. They set up developmentally appropriate activities and participated in engaging play with families and children in attendance. Families had access to information and resources about services that support families with young children.
Local Network Organizations (LNOs) Spotlights
Harris County Public Library | Precinct 3
Representatives from HCPL Precinct 3 and Children at Risk joined together to celebrate the work being done to support families with young children! Activities and fun giveaways are always a favorite in the community! Parents, grandparents, and other caregivers met representatives from various organizations to learn more about the services they offer to the community.
YMCA of Greater Houston | Precinct 2
YMCA of Greater Houston engaged with volunteers, vendors, and families with many fun activities to celebrate young children! They were overjoyed to created an environment where families played and danced with their little ones.
ELQN Vendor Spotlights
Training & Professional Development
Rupani Foundation
Over the past several weeks, our team has made significant strides in strengthening home-based and center-based early childhood care across our partner communities. In collaboration with HCPL 1 and EHCEC, we successfully delivered training sessions for Groups 40 through 43, reaching a combined total of 91 informal caregivers in meaningful, hands-on learning experiences.
Each session equipped caregivers with practical strategies to create safe, stimulating home learning environments where children can move freely, explore with confidence, and develop through play. A particular focus was placed on establishing simple learning corners using low- and no-cost materials, empowering caregivers to transform everyday household items into powerful tools for fostering creativity, problem-solving, and early skill development.
Building on this momentum, on April 25, we hosted a Child Care Providers’ Training in partnership with EHCEC and VN Teamwork, bringing together 5 directors and 9 teachers for an intensive professional development experience. Participants deepened their understanding of child developmental milestones, inclusive teaching practices, and strategies to support cognitive, social-emotional, language, and motor development. Through interactive activities — including a gallery walk showcasing thoughtfully designed inclusive learning environments — and a focused presentation on the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), participants left equipped with both the knowledge and practical resources needed to better identify and support each child’s developmental needs in the classroom.
Technology for Households
Easter Seals of Greater Houston
Easter Seals of Greater Houston has equipped 90 families with young children with Early Learning Technology Kits so far and plans to distribute the last few kits in May. Participants have expressed gratitude not only for the kits, which are packed with great technology to support their child’s early development, but also for the content of the workshop, where they learn about settings to protect their child online, apps that encourage learning in a fun way, and more.
During the most recent training in April, one participant said, “This workshop was very informative – as a person who is pretty tech savvy, I learned a lot of new things.”
The team is so appreciative of this opportunity to share valuable tools that encourage the development of young children with parents and caregivers.
Open Applications: ELQN Initiatives
Please be mindful that application windows vary not only by initiative, but also by zip code! Some initiatives are still accepting applications only in specific services areas. To confirm availability, please speak with your Local Network Organization or the vendor directly before trying to apply.
Technology for Households | Easter Seals of Greater Houston
Provides qualifying households with developmentally appropriate technological learning tools and training related to the use of technology with young children.
Eligible Zip Codes:77021, 77033, 77047, 77051, 77048, 77009, 77022, 77032, 77037, 77039, 77060, 77076, 77091
Training & Professional Development | Rupani Foundation
Provides training and coaching to enhance the skills and knowledge of child care providers of eligible centers and community members.
Eligible zip codes: 77009, 77015, 77021, 77022, 77027, 77029, 77032, 77033, 77036, 77037, 77039, 77044, 77047, 77048, 77049, 77051, 77056, 77057, 77060, 7072, 77074, 77076, 77081, 77091, 77099, 77379, 77530
Upcoming ELQN Events
Throughout April, ELQN partners continued to engage with their focal communities by encouraging initiative enrollment, providing training supports, and hosting public events to gather community feedback while sharing new information from ELQN. They were especially excited to join in on national celebrations that centered their communities, such as events like Baby Day and Week of the Young Child.
If you’re interested in participating in any upcoming or active initiatives, be sure to check out our public calendar and reach out to your local LNO, attend an ELQN event in your neighborhood, or explore the initiative vendor events featured on ELQN’s homepage for more information.
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