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 stakeholders in 10 Texas cities to discuss their new report, the Quest for Equity & Quality, present new data on childcare closures through the pandemic, and invite participation and advocacy ahead of the 88th legislative session. The team met (virtually) in Dallas, Fort Worth, Lubbock, Midland, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, Amarillo, El Paso, and Rio Grande Valley.
Throughout the discussions, participants were asked to provide local perspectives on Texas Rising Star participation. As they were in the Quest for Equity & Quality report, recurring themes for providers not participating in the Texas QRIS system included administrative concerns, lack of knowledge about the program, and extreme difficulties with staffing needs. Participants reported that in their areas providers appreciate the mentoring, resources, and increased reimbursement rates that come with Texas Rising Star participation.
Texas Tour Participants shared reasons child care providers in their area do and do not participate in Texas Rising Star. Above are examples from 6 cities.
After discussing the Quest for Equity & Quality report and collecting local experiencies and feedback, the ECE team presented closure data from Child Care Regulations that was analyzed in partnership with Child Care Aware of America. Statewide, 21.2% of child care programs were closed in September 2021 (compared to early March 2020). 79.1% of programs that closed were family child care centers. Only 2.9% of programs that closed were in Texas Rising Star, suggesting the program offered much needed support through COVID. The data also suggests that stabilization grants from the Texas Workforce Commission helped child care centers stay open with only 1.6% of programs that received a stabilization grant had closed in Sept. 2021.
Finally, the presentation ended with a call to action to contact Texas legislators during the interim to ensure they are prioritizing child care going into the 88th Legislative Session. Specifically, the International Relations and Economic Development Committee has been given an interim charge relating to child care.
MORE LIKE THIS
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...
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...
Rapid Roundtable ǀ TREC Hosts Conversation Centered on Health Equity and Access in the Texas-Mexico Border Region
On Wednesday, April 6, CHILDREN AT RISK and the Texas Racial Equity Collaborative (TREC) hosted the fifth in a series of monthly roundtables centered on racial equities experienced by Texas children and their families. Each month, speakers discuss...
The Quest for Equity & Quality |Research
Exposure to high-quality child care is the foundation for a child’s academic and social-emotional success, especially for children from low-income families. Increasing access to subsidized child care is one of the many strategies used to provide...
CHILDREN AT RISK & TXFLC host “A Fighting Chance: Summit on Basic Needs and Child Success”
Health leaders, researchers, and advocates gathered to explore the basic needs children need to thrive and the best practices we can implement to better support them. In today's uncertain world, it's more important than ever to make sure our...
Rest & Resilience | Securing Children’s Well-Being Through Sleep
Sleep is an essential ingredient in children’s long-term health and development, yet at least 1 in 3 US children are not getting enough. In the most recent National Survey of Children’s Health, nearly 35% of children (ages 4 months – 17) received...
Amerigroup supports CHILDREN AT RISK & Texas Family Leadership Council (TXFLC) Learning Events
Media Contact: Rashena Flagg, 713.301.4577 Amerigroup Texas, one of the state’s largest coordinators of managed healthcare, has generously provided Children at Risk with $10,000 to support the statewide collaborative Texas Family Leadership...