TEXAS (April 9, 2026) – A new analysis from CHILDREN AT RISK (C@R) reveals that while Texas child care capacity has remained relatively stable over the past year, access to care for working families continues to lag behind demand. Providers across the state are still struggling, and a growing number of communities are experiencing long-term shortages. Notably, many zip codes meet the criteria for a Chronic Child Care Desert, meaning they have lacked sufficient child care options for three or more consecutive years.

CHILDREN AT RISK will host a virtual press conference on Thursday, April 9, to release its annual statewide analysis of Texas Child Care Deserts, introduce a newly added measure of Chronic Child Care Deserts, and discuss the implications of these trends for Texas families and providers. This press conference will mark the beginning of their virtual Texas Tour, where C@R experts will break down local data trends on Child Care Deserts, Local Workforce Development Board spending, and advocacy opportunities in 12 communities across Texas.

 The analysis shows that as of September 2025, Texas has nearly 995,000 child care seats, an increase of approximately 3,000 seats from the previous year. This modest growth falls short of demand, as the number of children with working parents increased by 20,000 over the same period. Access also remains uneven: of the 413 Overall Child Care Deserts, defined as areas where demand for care outpaces supply by at least 3-to-1, 64% are now classified as Chronic Child Care Deserts.

 “In short, we’re seeing demand outpace the supply of child care throughout Texas,” said Kim Kofron, Executive Director of Early Childhood Education with CHILDREN AT RISK. “We’ve accomplished a lot over the past 10 years to improve access to high-quality care, but when there aren’t enough child care seats or the available seats are unaffordable, families are left without options they deserve.”

 Challenges are even more pronounced for low-income families. Texas has 884 Subsidy Child Care Deserts, of which 63% are classified as chronic. Overall, 76% of low-income children under age six with working parents live in a Child Care Desert.

 While the number of child care centers has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, family child care homes have declined by 22% since 2019—disproportionately impacting rural communities and communities of color.

 To better understand long-term trends, C@R introduced a new metric this year: Chronic Child Care Deserts. This measure identifies zip codes that have remained deserts for at least three consecutive years (spanning from 2022 to 2025). Statewide, 263 zip codes meet this definition. Additionally, there are 558 Chronic Subsidy Child Care Deserts and 635 Chronic Texas Rising Star Child Care Deserts.

 “When shortages persist year after year, families are forced to make impossible choices. Do they leave the workforce to care for their children, or turn to unregulated care that may not provide the quality early education our next generation of Texans needs?” said Dr. Bob Sanborn, president and CEO of CHILDREN AT RISK. “We must continue working with policymakers and community leaders to strengthen our child care system, but it will take bolder action to close the gap between supply and demand.”

Recent legislative action has contributed to improvements in child care quality. Following the passage of HB 2607 in 2021, which requires providers participating in the subsidy system to be rated through Texas Rising Star, 74% of providers serving subsidized children are now part of the state’s quality rating system.

The 89th Texas Legislature made historic investments in child care, including $100 million in funding, increased flexibility for Local Workforce Boards in provider reimbursements, and Governor Abbott launched the Taskforce on Early Childhood Education and Care.

The Texas Sunset Advisory Commission review and the Governor’s ECEC Taskforce present critical opportunities this year for policymakers to strengthen the child care system—by stabilizing the workforce, improving state infrastructure, and reducing the Texas Workforce Commission waiting list.

The historic progress is encouraging, but access to high-quality, affordable child care remains out of reach for many Texas families. To maintain the forward momentum and further stabilize Texas’ child care sector, CHILDREN AT RISK has developed policy recommendations informed by community needs and provider feedback across all 28 Local Workforce Development Board regions. Read C@R’s recommendations here, and register for one of 12 virtual Texas Tour stops to hear more about the status of child care across the state and throughout your region.