Growing Up
BLOG POSTS, PRESS RELEASES, & ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CHILDREN AT RISKCHILDREN AT RISK Receives $25,000 Donation from Amazon
Media Contact: Rashena Flagg, 713.301.4577 Amazon has generously provided Children at Risk with $25,000 to support the statewide collaborative Texas Family Leadership Council (TXFLC). The TXFLC was created out of the statewide need for accessible information,...
CHILDREN AT RISK and Texas Family Leadership Council Host Second Annual State of Black Children in Texas
On Thursday, February 24, the Texas Family Leadership Council and CHILDREN AT RISK hosted the second annual State of Black Children summit. The summit, sponsored by Amazon and Amerigroup, explored the challenges Black children face growing up in Texas and how to best...
Children at Risk Statement on Access to Healthcare for Transgender Children in Texas
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE On Feb. 22 the state of Texas issued a non-binding opinion declaring pediatric gender-affirming care to be criminal child abuse. This was followed by a directive to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to classify...
Economic Empowerment: A Path to Recovery for Survivors of Human Trafficking
By Lauren BiegelDiscussions around human trafficking are often focused on identifying victims and punishing their traffickers. Unfortunately, removing a victim from the situation in which they are being exploited is far from the end of the road to recovery and...
The Kids’ Case for Build Back Better: 5 Potential Wins for Texas Families
In the next few weeks, the US Senate is expected to vote on the Budget Reconciliation package (commonly referred to as "Build Back Better") which passed the House of Representatives on Nov. 19, 2021. The 1.9 trillion budget reconciliation packs in a number of...
C@R Celebrates 10 Years of Service in North Texas.
C@R North Texas leaders past, present, and future. Pictured Left to Right: Chris Wallace, Dr. Margo McClinton Stoglin, Timmy Newsome, and Genai Walker-Macklin. On December 4th, 2021, CHILDREN AT RISK (C@R) celebrated ten years of service in the North Texas region in...
The Importance of Structured Sleep for Children |Blog
Bedtime can be a difficult time for parents and their children. Bedtime routines, bedtime stories, and cuddles all help prepare children for sleep. A structured routine helps to ensure that the child is well-rested in order to grow their brain cells! Bedtimes are not...
C@R Honors Child Advocates & Anti-Trafficking Leaders at North Texas Luncheon
On September 23rd, 2021, CHILDREN AT RISK celebrated North Texas and honored local leaders working to end human trafficking and child exploitation with our first ever Speaking Up + Speaking Out Luncheon. North Texas community leaders, advocates, and trafficking...
Quality Sleep: The Next Frontier in Child Equity & Well-Being
CHILDREN AT RISK investigates the needs of the whole child and looks at the intersections of child-serving sectors. A variety of factors contribute to a child's ability to learn, grow, and thrive. Just like hunger affects a student's ability to learn or access to...
C@R & Shell Host Webinar on the Resegregation of America’s Schools
Education leaders come together to explore the root causes and potential solutions to school segregation in the 21st century. On August 18th, CHILDREN AT RISK hosted “The Resegregation of American Schools: The Economics of Inequity,” a discussion between education...
C@R & Shell Host Racial Equity in STEM Education Webinar
Teachers and administrators have spent the past 18 months re-envisioning the possibilities of the traditional classroom and what the future of education may hold for students today. On August 4th, CHILDREN AT RISK hosted "Racial Equity in STEM Education," a webinar...
Congress Must Act to Protect DACA Recipients and Families
On Friday, July 16, 2021, a federal judge in Texas ruled the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program unlawful. Established in 2012, DACA enables certain immigrants to obtain work permits and avoid deportation. The program currently provides a...
C@R Hosts Roundtable with JFS Authors on Youth Suicide
Content Warning: Discussion of Suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org for 24 hour support. Even before the pandemic, youth...
Opinion: Vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth need support
Coming out is a testimony in itself. I told my mother when I was a sophomore in college. Preparing to come out wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. I drafted numerous speeches and spent countless tearful nights racked with anxiety. But, to my surprise, the best speech...
Most student achievement is attributed to out-of-school factors
The following is the first in our Children's Health Vlog Series. This entry highlights the out-of-school health factors that influence student academic performance and their impact. It also covers best practices for crafting quality environments for children to learn...
May Round-Up: Busy Session, Bright Futures
The 87th Texas Legislative Session comes to a close The regular 87th Texas Legislative session wraps up in just a few days at midnight on Monday, May 31st. CHILDREN AT RISK staff have been working around the clock to support the public policies Texas families need...
March Round-Up: Advocates in Action
Advocates in Action As the 87th Texas Legislative Session heats up, Children at Risk advocates are hard at work supporting and drawing attention to good bills for kids. So far this session, Children at Risk has hosted three advocacy days and virtual rallies,...
Testimony in Support of HB 1540: Preventing Child Trafficking from RTCs
Children at Risk Senior Staff Attorney and Anti-Trafficking Expert, Jamey Caruthers, testified in support of House Bill 1540 (S. Thompson) in front of the Texas House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on March 15, 2021. In Fiscal Year 2019, 1,973 children and youth...
Growing Up In Houston: Assessing the Quality of Life of Our Children
In partnership with the United Way of Greater Houston, JPMorgan Chase & Co., CHILDREN AT RISK is excited to share the 2021-2022 edition of Growing Up in Houston: Assessing the Quality of Life of Our Children. The goal of the GUIH project is three-fold: to provide...
January Round-Up: New Year, New Projects, People, & Public Policies!
CHILDREN AT RISK kicked off the new year with new projects and a new legislative session. Below are just a few highlights from our efforts this January! CHILDREN AT RISK & Anti-Trafficking Advocates Rally to End Trafficking NOW! Closing out Human Trafficking...
Access to Affordable High-Quality Child Care is Scarce
By Kaeleigh Hernandez, Early Childhood Education and Sara Moran, Center for Social Measurement and Evaluation (Note: The analyses in this post uses data on child care centers from September 2019) Across Texas, nearly half of all child care providers accept subsidies...
CAR Welcomes 5 New Governing Board Members!
In today’s ever-changing landscape, strong leadership is more valuable than ever! Children at Risk is pleased to announce five additions to our Governing Board of Directors. Their many talents and diverse professional experiences will help our organization continue to...
Access to Affordable High-Quality Child Care is Scarce
By Kaeleigh Hernandez, Early Childhood Education and Sara Moran, Center for Social Measurement and Evaluation (Note: The analyses in this post uses data on child care centers from September 2019) Across Texas, nearly half of all child care providers accept subsidies...
Subsidized Child Care System in Texas
Because money is often a critical barrier to accessing child care, Texas gives working families subsidies that can help them pay for child care. Where does the money for child care subsidies come from, where does it go, and who is left out? Here's a quick primer:...
Educational Equity in the Digital Classroom: It is all about access
Forced adaptation is a concept in biology that describes the modification of an organism’s properties by imposing drastic changes to its environment. This may be done purposefully, to bring out characteristics deemed beneficial, such as improving the...