AUSTIN - The Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium (TEGAC) is pleased to announce it is awarding a grant in the amount of $90,000 to Texans Care for Children to analyze school district participation in the state’s new high-quality pre-k grant program and issue its findings prior to the 2017 legislative session.
The Governor and Legislature created the new grant program through House Bill 4 in 2015. The legislation reflects a broad consensus that early childhood education that meets high-quality standards is a powerful tool for ensuring that more children start school with the skills to succeed in elementary school and beyond. Texas school districts have the option of applying for the grants this year to begin improving the effectiveness of their pre-k programs in the 2016-2017 school year.
With support from TEGAC, Texans Care for Children will collaborate with key regional partners to explore school district demand for HB 4 pre-k grant funds, barriers and challenges affecting school district application decisions, and how districts plan to spend the additional pre-k dollars.
Texans Care for Children will produce a statewide report and collaborate with regional partners on local reports to share their findings and provide guidance to state legislators considering next steps on the grant program during the 2017 legislative session.
About Texans Care for Children
Texans Care for Children drives policy change to improve the lives of Texas children today for a stronger Texas tomorrow. It is a statewide, non-profit, non-partisan, multi-issue children's policy organization. Texans Care for Children develops policy solutions, produces research, and engages Texas community leaders to educate policymakers, the media, and the public about what works to improve the well-being of Texas children and families. The organization’s policy work covers child protective services, juvenile justice, mental well-being, health and fitness, and early childhood. More information is available at www.txchildren.org.
About the Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium
The Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium is a geographically and politically diverse consortium of 35 private, corporate, and community foundations from across Texas working together to promote, protect and improve public education in Texas. The Consortium’s members guide its work and determine its public policy priorities. A list of Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium members is available at www.tegac.org.
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