Every fall, our Early Childhood Education team packs our bags and hits the road, because we know the most important data isn’t found in spreadsheets—it’s found in conversations with you. 

The Fall 2025 Texas Tour was truly special. Engaging with providers, educators, and community leaders across 12 communities, we weren’t just gathering feedback; we were sitting knee-to-knee, listening deeply to the triumphs and struggles that shape the day-to-day lives of those serving our state’s youngest learners. 

The Texas Tour has become an instrumental part of our work. It’s our unique opportunity to step away from the policy papers and see, firsthand, how current practices are unfolding, where concerns are weighing heavily, and where the incredible, innovative work is taking hold. 

Traveling across this great state, we witnessed the immense diversity of landscapes and communities. Yet, despite all those differences, one thing consistently stood out and warmed our hearts: the shared, unwavering commitment that unites every provider and local leader. The collective effort to serve children and families in the best ways possible is the powerful thread that holds Texas early childhood education together.  

This year, in preparation for the Sunset Commission process, we asked four specific questions: 1) In what ways are agencies working well together? 2) In what ways could cross-agency work improve? 3) In what ways are agencies working well independently, and 4) In what ways can agencies improve independently. This is what we learned. 

Key Findings: Listening to Your Voices

While the challenges are real and significant, we were encouraged by the positive momentum many of you shared as well. Here are the specific, powerful realities shared with us during the Fall Tour, focusing on areas that still need urgent attention: 

1. STANDARDS ACROSS AGENCIES

The biggest barrier providers face is the feeling that the goalposts are constantly moving. This creates confusion, mistrust, and inequitable experiences. The most promising improvement is the decrease in the wait time for TRS assessments.  

• Varying Interpretations: Licensing representatives and TRS mentors interpret standards differently, leading to conflicting guidance and expectations.
• System Discrepancies: Trying to manage requirements across Child Care Regulations (CCR), Texas Rising Star (TRS), Texas Early Childhood Professional Development Systems (TECPEDS) and Child Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and accreditation often feels like juggling five different rulebooks. 

2. communication

Texas Tour Communities told us how difficult it is to get reliable, timely information, resulting in missed opportunities for vital support.  

• Problem Solving: Many Child Care Administrators told us they struggle to determine which agency to contact for specific issues.
• Information Location: Child Care Administrators indicated they have a hard time locating information and would like to see a single, easy-to-use place to find consolidated policy updates, grant information, or required forms. 
• Rapport & Quality: Overall, stakeholders reported strong TRS Mentor relationships and reported positive communications resulting in TRS attainment and growth.  

3. governance

The lack of coordination across state agencies (TWC, HHSC, TEA, etc.) forces Child Care Administrators to navigate duplicated or contradictory requirements. At the same time, attention to Child Care System improvements are appreciated.

• Administrative Overlap: Child Care Administrators often have to fulfill the same administrative work for multiple systems.
• A Call for Reform: We heard strong interest in creating more structural reforms, like creating a single, shared eligibility system for families. 
• Attention to Improvement: Stakeholders were pleased with the specific focus on improving the Texas Child Care System through the Governor’s Task Force, The Quad Agency, and the Sunset Commission process.   

4. Technology & data systems

The rollout of new systems like KinderSystems/TX3C has caused real hardship, proving to be confusing, unreliable, and insufficiently tested. 

• Reliable Income: System errors, inaccurate absence reporting, and subsequent recoupments are causing significant financial stress for providers. 
• System Management: To protect their centers, providers are forced to manage duplicate paperwork to manually ensure system accuracy. 

5. Funding & Access

While state investments are appreciated, stakeholders shared that the supports often don’t go far enough or doesn’t cover the full cost of high-quality operation. 

• Cost of Quality: TRS Level 4 reimbursement often falls short of covering the true cost of implementing high-quality practices.
• Penalties: Payment models that penalize centers when enrolled families don’t attend put providers in an impossible financial bind.
• Access Investment: We heard applause when we discussed the $100 Million Dollar investment the Legislature approved for child care scholarships. And questions about how many more children can be served in your communities. 
• Cost of Workforce: We learned that ARPA supports were helpful in maintaining programs and staff and learned that many of those dollars were used for wage supplements. The elimination of those funds has left programs struggling.