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
Access to Affordable High-Quality Child Care is Scarce
By Kaeleigh Hernandez, Early Childhood Education and Sara Moran, Center for Social Measurement and Evaluation (Note: The analyses in this post uses data on child care centers from September 2019) Across Texas, nearly half of all child care providers accept subsidies...
Texas Child Care Desert Methodology
In recent years, the concept of food deserts - areas with little or no access to fresh foods - has been widely publicized and frequently studied. Borrowing from that concept, experts at Child Care Aware and Center for American Progress have coined the term “child care...
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:...
New Push for TX Lege to Support Babies, Toddlers, and Their Parents
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Rashena Flagg, 713.301.4577 Austin – Today three Texas nonprofit organizations announced a new effort to work with the Texas Legislature and other state leaders to increase the number of infants and toddlers who are healthy,...
VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE: Texas Child Care & COVID-19
Child care experts from Amarillo, Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, and Lubbock highlight how COVID-19 is impacting their regions, what they are doing to adapt, and what Texas Legislators need to know. Before COVID-19, 1 in 12 Texas children lived in a child care...
Letter to Congress Regarding COVID-19 & Child Care
"The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed a longstanding truth: child care is one of the most critical institutions for our state’s employers, families, and children’s health and education. However, if Congress fails to support our child care providers and educators...
Texas Rising Star Recommendations
Every four years, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) reviews and updates the Texas Rising Star (TRS) guidelines. CHILDREN AT RISK has developed a high-level overview of the TRS Workgroup’s recommendations to help the public prepare for TWC’s upcoming TRS Public...
Early Childhood Apprenticeship Programs
Texas child care teachers care for an estimated 1 million babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children. Children birth through age three experience an incredible amount of brain growth which shapes their future learning, health, and behaviors. Child...
Early Childhood Apprenticeship Programs: Creating a pipeline of highly-qualified teachers
By Ali Schoon In the recently released report, Early Childhood Apprenticeship Programs, CHILDREN AT RISK reviews how apprenticeship programs can create a pipeline of highly-qualified early childhood education teachers in Texas. This blog touches on three important...
Child Care Subsidy & Policy Resources
Issues impacting the child care industry in Texas are complex and while solutions exist, it is often difficult to understand how to get there. With input from stakeholders across Texas, Children at Risk created resources with specific strategies for state and local...
What is HBO 680 and how does it impact children?
Child care providers (often referred to as “day care”) are important to our communities, and in Texas, about half of them care for low-income kids with working parents who receive financial assistance (or “subsidy”) from the Texas Workforce Commission. Even though...
Quality Child Care & the 88th Texas Legislature
*Most recent Texas House and Senate District Profiles can be found here. In the 87th legislative session, CHILDREN AT RISK championed legislation that improved accessibility and quality of early childhood education in Texas. This session, our priorities are to help...