Updated: January 2026 (with data from 2024-2025 Board Fiscal Year)

In 2022, CHILDREN AT RISK unveiled The Quest for Equity and Quality, a groundbreaking report that highlighted significant disparities in child care providers’ experiences with the Texas Rising Star (TRS) program across the state. Now, our latest research series, Paving the Way to Quality, builds on this work through an in-depth analysis of how Texas’ Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs) invest in child care quality across key areas.

Paving the Way to quality analyzes how local, state, and federal requirements shape funding and policy decisions, explores gaps in access, and offers recommendations for improving the child care landscape.