With support from the Episcopal Health Foundation (EHF), Texans Care for Children identified early childhood needs and access to programs that promote early brain development in Central Texas, East Texas, and the Upper Gulf region (EHF’s 57-county service area). We analyzed county-level data in these regions in order to better understand community needs. We researched the availability of services and interventions by conducting a scan of publicly available sources, an online survey, and informant interviews.
We found that in these three regions, access to maternal mental health services is limited; home visiting, Early Head Start and other effective early childhood models exist but only reach a fraction of families that could benefit; and health centers and pediatric practices provide a unique opportunity to incorporate proven brain-building models into routine care for infants and toddlers.