July 2026 Newsletter
Harris County Department of Economic Equity & Opportunity’s
Early Learning Quality Network (ELQN)
In Partnership With
Reminder: All Initiatives Will Close August 31
Projected Closing Dates by Initiative
- Training & Professional Development:
- Closing August 31, 2026
- Emergency & Temporary Care:
- Closing August 31, 2026
- Technology for Child Care Centers:
- Closing August 31, 2026
- Facility, Safety, & Security:
- Closing August 31, 2026
Launching just under three years ago, Harris County Department of Economic Equity’s Early Learning Quality Network has left a considerable mark on the communities it set out to serve. Working alongside trusted Local Network Organizations, Community Advisory Committees, vendors, and a network support hub, we are thrilled seeing all of the progress achieved through this collaboration.
Funded through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, this pilot initiative is projected to conclude all services at the end of August 2026.
As ELQN come to a close, we encourage participants to stay connected with their Local Network Organization (LNO) representative or service provider. If you have not yet received information about the transition of your services, they can provide updates on next steps, closeout activities, sustainability efforts, and other community resources that may continue to support you beyond the conclusion of the initiative.
ELQN Initiatives Still Open for Applications
Please be mindful that application windows vary not only by initiative, but also by zip code! Some initiatives are still accepting applications only in specific services areas. To confirm availability, please speak with your Local Network Organization or the vendor directly before trying to apply.
Vendor: Rupani Foundation
Description: Helps child care workers in Harris County enhance children’s learning through training, coaching, and resources. Eligible child care workers may also receive stipends if their child care program has applied and been approved. Training services are currently only available to child care providers in Precinct 2.
Provider Training and Coaching Eligibility Criteria: Child care workers at child care centers and child care homes participating in the Child Care Services (CCS) program in designated zip codes.
Eligible Zip Codes: 77009, 77022, 77032, 77037, 77039, 77060, 77076, 77091
ELQN Receives NACo Achievement Award!
What can happen when communities help guide investments in early learning?
Harris County Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity’s Early Learning Quality Network is showing us just how strong the impact can be.
Using a unique hub-and-spoke model, ELQN brings together local organizations, families, caregivers, and community stakeholders to shape and deliver solutions
around local priorities. In less than three years, this community-centered approach has earned Harris County a 2026 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties in the Children and Youth category. This award recognizes outstanding county government programs and services. You can read more about the Award here.
Since October 2023, ELQN has impacted more than 13,000 children and engaged over 2,000 caregivers. We are proud to be part of a pilot demonstrating the strength of community-directed early learning investments in Harris County.
C@R Shares ELQN Results at National Association of Family Child Care Conference
July15 – 18, 2026
Representing ELQN, Martha Gonzales and Christina Alton traveled to Chicago for NAFCC’s 2026 Conference focused on “Building Bridges, Raising Voices, and Shaping Futures.”
They were honored to be chosen to present Harris County’s pilot ELQN model and share about the impact it has had for children, families, and providers in focal communities in less than three years.
Their session highlighted the opportunities ELQN has had to uplift home-based child care providers, including Family/Friend/Neighbor (FFN) caregivers, and the work these small business owners do each and every day to support their communities.
They also shared lessons learned, the importance of crafting programs that are truly driven by community voice and needs, and helped attendees envision how this could look in their daily work and larger community.
Closing out their presentation, they shared the following quote:
“Those closest to the problem are closest to the solution, but furthest from the resources and power.” – Glenn E. Martin
LNO Spotlights
July Events & Community Support
ELQN Local Network Organizations were busy this month with events aimed at supporting families and child care providers in their communities as they prepare for going back to school.
YMCA Hosts Back to School Events - Precinct 2
The YMCA supported Precinct 2 communities with events focused on providing families with the supplies and resources they need to start to the school year off strong. While sharing ELQN impact across their communities, YMCA provided backpacks, school supplies, and learning tablets to attendees.
HCPL Thanks Community with Provider Luncheon - Precinct 1
As a thank you to the Sunnyside and South Park community, HCPL – Precinct 1 provided lunch for providers that had participated in ELQN over the last 3 years. The team shared program updates and next steps. This event also provided any opportunity for providers to share feedback and continue to build the resource network with each other.
HCPL Leads Grant Writing Seminar - Precinct 3
HCPL Precinct 3 organized a training for early childhood leaders to learn about finding grants, how to write proposals, using AI efficiently in the process, and applications for using the funds in the early childhood space.
Vendor Spotlights
Reflecting on Impact
ELQN Vendors were busy this month providing services, closing out their work with their initiatives, and reflecting on the longstanding impact they will have in the ZIP codes they served.
The Reality Behind 43,000 Days of Care | Emergency & Temporary Care
Neighborhood Schools & WorkTexas!
Parents across Harris County have shared powerful stories of how the Emergency and Temporary Care Program grant transformed their daily lives.
Many described profound relief from financial pressure and the freedom it created to pursue work and education. “I was able to graduate with my bachelor’s degree in December,” one parent shared, while another explained, “I was able to work full time and be a full time student.”
Families repeatedly noted how reliable care made employment possible: “When I became a newly single mom… it was truly life changing. She began attending daycare and I was able to interview for a job and find work within 2 weeks.”
Others returned to the workforce after long absences—“I was able to start working after 5 years of being a stay at home mom!”—or advanced their careers, with one parent sharing, “I began working at a more beneficial place of employment as well as enroll back in school to further my career.”
Another parent thrived: “I was able to go to school and complete my prerequisite classes so that I could apply to the sonography program… I not only completed the classes but also got all A’s,” and another noted simply, “Yes I was able to graduate college.”
Just as transformative were the benefits for the children themselves. Parents described their little ones blossoming in safe, enriching environments. “My son was able to enjoy being a kid & learning and growing while interacting with other kids!” one wrote, while another shared that her child “has truly grown so much and feels ready for kindergarten in August.”
Many celebrated developmental leaps: “My sons speech developed tremendously,” and “My child could go to daycare… [and] have in person development with other children her age.”
One parent reflected that the grant “kept our son happy and oblivious to all of the struggles we were experiencing personally,” while others simply said their children “learned so much and blossomed” or “loves going to school.”
Looking ahead, some families plan to transition into kindergarten or public school, others hope for continued assistance, and nearly all remain thankful for the year of stability that allowed parents to work and study while giving their children the strong social, emotional, and educational foundation they deserve.
Providing Community Support After ELQN | Technology for Households
Easter Seals of Greater Houston
Even though the Technology for Households workshops, which provided Early Learning Technology Kits containing a brand new tablet and accessories to 93 households, have all been completed, Easter Seals Greater Houston is still available to assist parents, caregivers, and other organizations who serve families.
Through the BridgingApps program at Easter Seals Greater Houston, users can find information about apps for smartphones & tablets by searching our database at https://search.bridgingapps.org/. This database allows users to search for apps by need, age, device type, and other filters to find the right app for them, or they can just browse our expert-created app lists.
For information about other assistive technologies, such as those for communication, vision loss, and more, contact us directly at https://bridgingapps.org/help/.
1,000 Caregivers Reached | Training & Professional Development
Rupani Foundation USA
We are proud to share that the Rupani Foundation has completed its community-based informal caregiver training initiative, reaching all 1,000 caregivers targeted across five Houston-area partner sites.
Every site met its goal to provide training to informal caregivers:
- East Harris County Empowerment Network: 300 caregivers trained
- VN Teamwork: 240 caregivers trained
- Harris County Public Library Precinct 3: 170 caregivers trained
- YMCA of Greater Houston: 160 caregivers trained
- Harris County Public Library Precinct 1: 130 caregivers trained
While the informal caregiver trainings have concluded, we are still offering Training & Professional Development services to providers in the following Precinct 2 ZIP codes: 77009, 77022, 77032, 77037, 77039, 77060, 77076, 77091
Reaching 100% of our target at every single site reflects the trust our partners have built with the families they serve and the commitment of the caregivers themselves — parents, grandparents, family members, and neighbors — who showed up to strengthen how they support the young children in their lives. Through sessions on brain development, stress management, home learning, and responsive caregiving, participants gained tools and materials they are already putting to use in their homes every day.
A heartfelt thank you to our LNO’s partners at East Harris County Empowerment Council, VN Teamwork, Harris County Public Library Precincts 1 & 3, and YMCA of Greater Houston for making this milestone possible, and to the 1,000 caregivers who chose to invest in their children’s earliest years.
Upcoming ELQN Events
Throughout July, ELQN partners continued to encourage initiative enrollment, provide training supports, and host public events to gather community feedback while sharing new information from ELQN.
If you’re interested in participating in any upcoming or active initiatives, be sure to check out our public calendar and reach out to your local LNO, attend an ELQN event in your neighborhood, or explore the initiative vendor events featured on ELQN’s homepage for more information.
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