Strong Foundations

Two-thirds of Texas families have parents in the household working outside of the home, meaning that many of the state’s 3.7 million children ages 0-8 need access to early education, whether in a childcare or elementary school setting.

However, employers and businesses report that their workers are not showing up to work because they cannot find affordable, quality childcare. This is significantly detrimental to children, families, the workforce, and the state of Texas as a whole — amounting to an estimated $9.4B annual loss to the state.

90% of the brain is formed by age 5, and research connects the quality of early learning opportunities to success in the earliest grades and, ultimately, to lifetime achievement. Early childhood education is essential for supporting today’s economy and ensuring future prosperity. Building strong foundations in reading and math are especially critical because Texas students who fall behind tend to stay behind: historically only 7% of third-grade students who are not performing on grade level catch up in two years.

To support today’s workforce and cultivate a stronger workforce of tomorrow, Texas must build an integrated and aligned high-quality early childhood education system that sets our students, families, and state up for success.