On March 6, 2025, state leaders, child care advocates, and early education professionals gathered in Austin for a powerful day of advocacy, collaboration, and action. Hosted by CHILDREN AT RISK and the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TXAEYC), this year’s ECE Day at the Capitol made one thing clear: Texas families need investment in child care—and they need it now. The rally cry was clear: Fund Child Care. 

Legislative Briefing: Grounding Advocacy in Data

The day kicked off with a legislative briefing attended by Capitol staff, where leaders from CHILDREN AT RISK and TXAEYC painted a stark picture of the crisis:

• 1 in 10 U.S. children lives in Texas

• 2.3 million children under age 6 live in Texas

• 44% of all Texas zip codes are child care deserts

• Only 13.4% of eligible low-income children ages 0–5 currently receive child care subsidies

Kim Kofron, Mandi Kimball, and Cody Summerville delivered a comprehensive overview of the systemic challenges—rising costs, stagnant provider wages, a shrinking supply of family child care homes—and stressed the importance of evidence-based legislative solutions.

“Early childhood educators deserve a living wage. Families deserve affordable care. And children deserve equitable access to safe, high-quality learning environments,” said Kim Kofron.

A panel following the briefing spotlighted the lived experiences of providers and families. Panelists like Mary Jane Faz, Tamitha Blackmon, and Audrey Rowland emphasized the human cost of the crisis and the urgent need for lawmakers to act.

Rallying at the Capitol Steps

By mid-morning, the South Steps of the Capitol were filled for a public rally advocating on behalf of Texas child care. Speakers included:

• Senator Royce West

• Representatives Claudia Ordaz, James Talarico, and Armando Walle

• Ed Wolff, Beth Wolff Realtors

• Jerletha McDonald, DFW Child Care Association

• Audrey Rowland, TXAEYC & Green Space Learning

Together, they championed revenue-neutral and fiscally strategic bills, including:

• SB 972 / HB 2294 – Raise child care subsidy reimbursement rates

• SB 462 – Prioritize subsidies for early educators’ children

• SB 599 – Remove local barriers for opening family child care homes

• SB 1739 & SB 211 – Create a child care protection fund and offer business tax incentives for on-site child care

After the rally, advocates fanned out to every legislative office, delivering customized packets and a unified call to action: Support legislation that strengthens Texas child care. These visits turned passion into policy by ensuring that every lawmaker had access to the data, stories, and policy tools needed to act.

CHILDREN AT RISK, TXAEYC, and their partners made an undeniable impact—elevating child care from a talking point to a top priority. With more than 95,000 eligible children still on waitlists, Texas must act with urgency.

“This is our moment to build a stronger system for families, children, and the economy,” said Mandi Kimball, Chief Government Relations Officer at CHILDREN AT RISK.

Take action. Raise your voice. Join the movement to #FundChildCare.