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
Fall 2024 Early Childhood Texas Tour Concludes
Driving Solutions Across Texas: Fall 2024 Texas Tour RecapWritten by Lyn Lucas, Associate Director, Early Childhood Education, CHILDREN AT RISK This fall, CHILDREN AT RISK hit the road for our statewide Texas Tour, sparking critical conversations on the future of...
Paving the Way to Quality
In 2022, CHILDREN AT RISK unveiled The Quest for Equity and Quality, a groundbreaking report that highlighted significant disparities in child care providers' experiences with the Texas Rising Star (TRS) program across the state. Now, our latest report, Paving the Way...
C@R’s Early Childhood Advocates Host Legislative Briefing
C@R Travels to Austin with Fellow Advocates Hosts 2024 Legislative Briefing on Early Childhood EducationOn Wednesday, September 4th, CHILDREN AT RISK hosted a significant Capitol Briefing on Early Childhood Education in Austin, Texas. This briefing, sponsored by...
Fall 2024 | Early Childhood Education Texas Tour
CHILDREN AT RISK's Early Childhood Texas Tour is coming to a city near you, and you won’t want to miss it. C@R is hitting the road with 12 in-person stops across the state, bringing together child care providers, community leaders, and anyone passionate about...
Legislative District One-Pagers: Early Childhood Education
Welcome to CHILDREN AT RISK's Early Childhood Education Policy Resource hub, where you can explore the child care landscape in each Texas House and Senate district.Texas’s economic success hinges on a stable workforce, with employers and working parents relying...
2024 Latino Child Health Initiative Map
Latino Health Initiative Neighborhood Analysis Latino children endure disproportionate probabilities of suffering from systemic inequities, particularly regarding health and healthcare services. Language barriers, immigration status, lack of transportation and...
2024 Texas Tour | Child Care & Early Childhood
Written by Jacob Westjohn, Program Coordinator, C@R The Children At Risk team is incredibly grateful to all of the community members who shared their perspectives and expertise with us during the Texas Tour. These events are a valuable opportunity to discuss the needs...
Transparency, Quality, Efficiency: A historic look at child care legislation in Texas
Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and the Texas Legislature have worked hard for years to improve child care for working parents. Due to smart bipartisan legislation and gubernatorial action in the past decade, Texas now has a more accountable and...
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:...
Access to Affordable High-Quality Child Care is Scarce
By Kim Kofron, Early Childhood Education, and Jenn Meier, Center for Social Measurement and Evaluation (Note: Data sources are all publicly available from the Texas Workforce Commission, TEA, and Family Service. This report uses data from October 1st, 2022-September...
2024 C@R Special Events
Special Eventsconvening for change Every dollar donated helps us improve the lives of Texas children. CHILDREN AT RISK is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN: 76-0360533). Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. It is with immense...
2023 Annual Report
It is with immense pride and joy that we announce the start of a significant milestone: the 35th Anniversary of CHILDREN AT RISK. For over three decades, our organization has been at the forefront of advocating for the well-being and rights of vulnerable children,...