Growing Up
BLOG POSTS, PRESS RELEASES, & ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CHILDREN AT RISKC@R Testifies to Senate Finance Committee on Education
CHILDREN AT RISK Releases 2022 Annual Report
2022 was a year of huge growth for CHILDREN AT RISK, both in our work and as an agency! In addition to our main office in Houston, we are proud to report C@R now has multiple staff members based in North Texas, Central Texas, and El Paso. Having this statewide...
The Latest on Kids and Social Media
By: Lauren Biegel, Asst. Director, Programs Social media is everywhere. Especially through COVID-19 sheltering, social media connects many of us to people across the world, and there’s a lot to love about it: funny videos, life hacks, and updates on friends we...
Talking to Your Kids About Racism
By: Blanca Torres, Intern The experience and memories you observe as a child often shape who you are as an adult. At our youngest, we are most vulnerable. Children who experience racism can have long-term effects and even trauma. For children, the effects of racism...
Op-Ed: Every student in Texas should access a free school meal
As published in Dallas Morning News, December 12, 2022. By Bob Sanborn and Laura HayesAccording to Feeding America, 1 out of 5 children in North Texas faces hunger due to limited resources, poverty and parental unemployment. Just like a car running out of gas, hungry...
Supporting Opportunity Youth for an Inclusive Economy
Despite a decades-long drop in the opportunity youth population, which decreased from 5.8 million to 4.4 million between 2011 and 2021, the number of opportunity youth rose dramatically during the pandemic to more than 6 million. The term opportunity youth (OY)...
Voices from the Field: Child Care Struggles Through COVID-19
Child care centers and family child care homes provide an indispensable resource to parents across Texas. Quality child care is crucial for the development and early education of young children. Despite the importance of this essential industry, child care centers are...
Education in Transition: Reshaping America’s Schools in a Post-Pandemic World
Reshaping America’s Schools in a Post-Pandemic World
REPORT: Classrooms in Crisis
COVID-19 changed our public education landscape nearly overnight. Thousands of Texas schools and nearly 5.5 million students faced a school year like never before. Schools had to quickly develop tools andresources that would support the pivot to a virtual classroom...
OP-ED: More Accountability for School Vouchers
As published in Dallas Morning News, August 31, 2022.Even as families are enjoying the first weeks of the school year, the challenges facing our education system remain more of the same. Many schools still have teacher vacancies and don’t have subject-certified...
Full STE(A)M Ahead Summit
This annual summit again dove into the issues of STEM education, focusing on building a robust and qualified pipeline of professionals in the wake of the pandemic.
C@R and Partners Present Third National Immigration Summit
This year, national advocates explored child-forward immigration policies, access to basic needs and mental health resources, education equity, and how to shift the narrative surrounding immigrants and immigration.On June 23, 2022, CHILDREN AT RISK hosted their third...
Experts Gathered to Discuss the Importance of Texas Mothers During May 5 Summit
Researchers and advocates gather to discuss federal and state policy implications maternal health outcomes, family planning, and economic justice at first-ever Texas Motherhood Summit.On May 5, Children at Risk and Texas Family Leadership Council (TXFLC) presented...
TREC Hosts Rapid Roundtable Centered on Immigration
Texas Racial Equity Collaborative (TREC) explores the intersection of the immigration and racial justice movements during June Rapid Roundtable discussion with advocates. CHILDREN AT RISK hosted its sixth Racial Equity Rapid Roundtable on June 22nd, a monthly...
C@R Celebrates Plyler V. Doe and DACA on June 15th
In 1982, the Court decided that “education has a fundamental role in maintaining the fabric of our society” and “provides the basic tools by which individuals might lead economically productive lives.” As the 40th anniversary of the ruling of Plyler v....
CHILDREN AT RISK Testifies to Texas House Committee on Child Care Priorities
On May 19, 2022, C@R Director of Education, Kim Kofron, provided testimony to the Texas House Committee on International Relations and Economic Development. The testimony shared data on child care closures: “Texas has lost 21% of child care providers from March 2020...
C@R Leads Learning Tour in Mexico City
In May, CHILDREN AT RISK hosted 20 guests in Mexico City for a human trafficking and immigration learning tour. The group spent a busy 4 days visiting with local organizations, touring cultural sites, and (of course) enjoying the food! The trip focused on exploring...
TREC Hosts Sixth Rapid Round Table Focused on the Quest for Equity & Quality
Dismantling the systemic barriers to provider participation in Texas’ QRIS and increasing access to high-quality ECE for children and families of color. Media Contact: Rashena Flagg, 713.301.4577 On Thursday, May 12, CHILDREN AT RISK and the Texas Racial Equity...
C@R Collaborates to Address Issues Impacting Spanish-Speaking Communities
C@R and Collaborators Share How to Talk to Your Children About the Dangers of the Internet Thank you to Univision and Idioma Mujer for your collaboration on this project! The quality of life of Texas children is of the utmost importance to CHILDREN AT RISK. We...
ECE Team Hosts Virtual Texas Tour
CHILDREN AT RISK ECE Team presented new data & gathered stakeholder feedback in 10 texas cities During the weeks of April 11 and April 25, the Children At Risk Early Childhood Education Team hosted roundtable discussions with ECE providers, advocates, and...
How Caregivers Can Be Aware of – and Support – Their Child’s Mental Health
By Jarret GuajardoChildren’s mental health is a key element of child wellbeing, one that is too often neglected. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, one in five US children aged 12-17 had experienced a major depressive episode, 37% of high school students had reported...
Petro-Proximate Learning in Texas
Media Contact: Rashena Flagg, 713.301.4577 Research shows petrochemical plants within close proximity to schools negatively impact a child’s performance. On April 25, CHILDREN AT RISK released a new report analyzing the proximity of petrochemical plants to...
Increase Networking Opportunities for Child Care Providers
This post highlights a policy recommendation from our new report, The Quest for Equity and Quality Examining Provider Experiences and Participation in Texas Rising Star. This report, released 4/4/22, explores data from a statewide survey and focus groups in which...
Thought Leaders Convene for Second-Annual Border Health Summit
EXPERTS gathered to explore the INNOVATIVE PRACTICES AND UNIQuE HEALTH CHALLENGES IN THE TEXAS BORDERLANDS DURING APRIL 7 SUMMIT While the health challenges impacting the Borderlands are many, the strong sense of collaboration within the region has created unique...
2022 Kroger School Food Rankings
Across Texas, over 3.7 million students from low-income households qualify for free or reduced-price school meals through federal programs, such as the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. For many of these children, meals eaten at school...