Equity & Justice
We are committed to viewing all our work with a race equity lens
Our goal is to improve equity and justice for all Texas children and families and to find solutions for problems that disproportionately affect communities of color. We do this by collecting data to identify inequities, collaborating for community-driven solutions, and advocating for equitable systems.
CHILDREN AT RISK has also identified diversity, equity, and inclusion as a core organizational value. We believe the power of diversity enriches us all by exposing us to a range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and discover, design, and deliver solutions. CHILDREN AT RISK is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff and board and to honor their experiences, perspectives, and unique identities; and strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.
One of the core values of CHILDREN AT RISK is Racial Equity. We desire to improve equity and justice for all children and families in Texas and to find solutions for problems that disproportionately affect communities of color. As such, we have made many strides toward our goal through tangible, measurable steps.
In 2021 we created the Texas Racial Equity Collaborative (TREC) with a 3-prong plan to:
Educate about racial disparities that hurt children and families and highlight opportunities and solutions that dismantle systemic racism;
Collaborate with individuals, businesses and organizations who are actively working to dismantle systemic racism; and
Advocate for legislation that closes racial gaps, eliminates systemic racism and tracks the effects of policies on BIPOC children and families. Additionally, we pledge to oppose legislation that feeds systemic racism and inequity.
In 2022, we continued our commitment to equity, internally and externally, through the following activities:
- Adding a Chief Equity Officer to our senior leadership team.
- Holding quarterly DEI trainings and workshops for our staff.
- Creating a TREC internship program for students attending a Texas Historically Black College or University.
- Partnering with Prairie View A&M University to study and make recommendations for the sustainability and recruitment of BIPOC early childcare providers in the Quest for Equity and Quality Report.
- Hosting a TREC summit with statewide partners to develop goals for research and advocacy.
- Holding 8 Racial Equity Rapid Roundtable discussions on a variety of topics with national and statewide experts.
- Hosting free, accessible virtual programing that included, The State of Black Children, Summit on Basic Needs and Child Success, The State of Latinx Children, Health in the Borderlands and Creating an Equitable Path to STEM Careers.
Our commitment to racial equity for children and families will continue in 2023 with advocacy during the Texas Legislative Session with an Equity Rally Day at the Capitol and the release of a State of Inequities report that will highlight issues and offer solutions designed to breakdown barriers to success for all Texas families. We have much work to do, but we are grateful for the opportunity to make a difference and we won’t take this opportunity for granted.
Our Latest equity & Justice
Research & Resources
The Power of Immigrants that Texas Does Not Seem to Want to Understand
By Linda Corchado & Bob Sanborn The data is clear. A third of Texas’ nearly 8 million children are immigrants or the children of immigrants. In our cities, like Houston, the number is about half of our children. If children are our future then our path forward...
CHILDREN AT RISK Hosts The Future of Children Summit
The 2023 Future of Children Summit was introduced by Dr Robert Sanborn, President & CEO at CHILDREN AT RISK with Welcome Remarks The summit was broken down into seven sections that lasted 11 minutes followed by a brief Q&A led by Dr Bob and the speaker....
CHILDREN AT RISK and Texas Family Leadership Council Host Second Annual Motherhood Summit
Last month, the Texas Family Leadership Council and CHILDREN AT RISK hosted the second annual Motherhood Summit. The summit explored some of the most pressing issues facing Texas mothers and how these issues affect not just themselves, but their children and families...
Growing Up In Houston: Assessing the Quality of Life of Our Children
Data must be the catalyst for any conversation regarding the well-being of our children. However, data alone is not sufficient. We must also overlay context to better understand the complexities of the many issues facing our children. Growing Up in Houston aims to do just that.
CHILDREN AT RISK and Texas Family Leadership Council Host Third Annual State of Black Children in Texas
On Thursday, February 16, the Texas Family Leadership Council and CHILDREN AT RISK hosted the third annual State of Black Children in Texas summit. The summit explored the challenges Black children face growing up in Texas and how to best support them at all stages of...
CHILDREN AT RISK Releases 2022 Annual Report
2022 was a year of huge growth for CHILDREN AT RISK, both in our work and as an agency! In addition to our main office in Houston, we are proud to report C@R now has multiple staff members based in North Texas, Central Texas, and El Paso. Having this statewide...
Talking to Your Kids About Racism
By: Blanca Torres, Intern The experience and memories you observe as a child often shape who you are as an adult. At our youngest, we are most vulnerable. Children who experience racism can have long-term effects and even trauma. For children, the effects of racism...
Supporting Opportunity Youth for an Inclusive Economy
Despite a decades-long drop in the opportunity youth population, which decreased from 5.8 million to 4.4 million between 2011 and 2021, the number of opportunity youth rose dramatically during the pandemic to more than 6 million. The term opportunity youth (OY)...
REPORT: Classrooms in Crisis
COVID-19 changed our public education landscape nearly overnight. Thousands of Texas schools and nearly 5.5 million students faced a school year like never before. Schools had to quickly develop tools andresources that would support the pivot to a virtual classroom...
OP-ED: More Accountability for School Vouchers
As published in Dallas Morning News, August 31, 2022.Even as families are enjoying the first weeks of the school year, the challenges facing our education system remain more of the same. Many schools still have teacher vacancies and don’t have subject-certified...
C@R and Partners Present Third National Immigration Summit
This year, national advocates explored child-forward immigration policies, access to basic needs and mental health resources, education equity, and how to shift the narrative surrounding immigrants and immigration.On June 23, 2022, CHILDREN AT RISK hosted their third...
Experts Gathered to Discuss the Importance of Texas Mothers During May 5 Summit
Researchers and advocates gather to discuss federal and state policy implications maternal health outcomes, family planning, and economic justice at first-ever Texas Motherhood Summit.On May 5, Children at Risk and Texas Family Leadership Council (TXFLC) presented...