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
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE TEXAS SUNSET COMMISSION
Our Latest Early Childhood Education Research & Resources
Early Childhood Education & Childcare Testimony: House Committee on Trade, Workforce & Economic Development Hearing
Texas House Committee on Trade, Workforce & Economic Development HearingAugust 26, 2026Texas has a child care system that serves thousands of children and families every day. While the system is not perfect and there are important improvements that must be made,...
Houston Child Care Sector Braces for Reduction in Subsidized Child Care Seats
Estimates indicate that upwards of a thousand Houston-area children are likely to no longer receive subsidized child care as state and federal changes place pressure on the sector. Media Contact:Morgan Gerri, 832.600.9354 TEXAS (August 27, 2026) – The Texas Workforce...
C@R Testifies at Sunset Commission TWC Hearing
C@R Provides Testimony Focused on Opportunity Youth, Early Childhood, and Anti-TraffickingAugust 12, 2026CHILDREN AT RISK leaders Mandi Kimball and Kim Kofron provided public testimony before the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission during its August 12 public hearing on...
Fall 2026 Early Childhood Texas Tour
Each fall, CHILDREN AT RISK brings early childhood leaders and stakeholders together for community-centered conversations in 12 major Texas cities to exchange insights, examine regional experiences, and envision a stronger future for child care across Texas. This...
Press Conference: Child Advocates Discuss Proposed Head Start Overhaul and State-by-State Impacts
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) removes significant federal regulations, shifting most standards toward state and local regulation Media Contact:Morgan Gerri, 832.600.9354 TEXAS (August 13, 2026) – On Thursday, August 6, the U.S. Department of Health and Human...
Press Conference: Head Start is Critical to Texas’ Academic and Economic Foundations
Child care stakeholders urge policymakers to preserve Head Start regulations in anticipation of the release of Federal Notice of the Proposed Rulemaking. Media Contacts:Morgan Gerri, 832.600.9354Rashena Franklin, 713.301.4577 TEXAS (August 5, 2026) – Ahead of any...
Seeds of Change: Recap of the 2026 Early Childhood Education Summit
Written by Lucy Lusk, Summer 2026 Media Fellow, CHILDREN AT RISK On June 11, CHILDREN AT RISK and Texas Prenatal-to-Three (PN-3) Collaborative, in partnership with the Texas Family Leadership Council (TXFLC), hosted the 2026 Early Childhood Education Summit: Seeds of...
2026 Early Childhood Sunset Recommendations
Related: Click here to read all of CHILDREN AT RISK’s recommendations for the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission.Every 12 years, most Texas state agencies undergo a comprehensive review by the Sunset Advisory Commission, a process that includes staff analysis, public...
Keeping the Home Cool, Calm, and Collected
CHILDREN AT RISK and Harris County Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity (DEEO)’s ELQN Host Event on Emergency Planning and Summer Safety for Home-Based Child Care Providers. Written by Christina Alton, Assistant Director, Early Childhood Education & Early...
Insights from the Spring 2026 Texas Tour
Last month, CHILDREN AT RISK virtually traveled across the vast landscape of Texas, visiting 12 diverse cities to listen, learn, and engage with the people who power our child care system. From the Panhandle to the Valley, the message was clear and consistent: child...
2026 Child Care Deserts Analysis
Access to High-Quality Child Care Continues to Get More Scarce April 9, 2026 | Written by Kim Kofron, Executive Director of Early Childhood Education, and Jacob Westjohn, Associate Director of the Center for Social Measurement & Evaluation, CHILDREN AT RISK (Note:...
Press Conference: Over Half of Texas Child Care Deserts Have Persisted for Years
About 64% of child care deserts in Texas indicate chronic deficits in child care seats, according to CHILDREN AT RISK’s latest statewide analysis Media Contacts:Morgan Gerri, 832.600.9354Rashena Franklin, 713.301.4577 TEXAS (April 9, 2026) – A new analysis from...