As Texas officials review the state's minimum standards for child care, a process that takes place every six years, 15 groups are urging the state to make improvements to the standards.
The organizations recently submitted four recommendations to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), including the recommendation to change the minimum standards for the number of children allowed with an individual child care teacher. Texas currently allows one teacher with 11 two-year-olds, for example. The stakeholder recommendations point out that the state's Child Care Licensing office previously reported that they do not “believe that the current ratios adequately protect the health and safety of children in some age ranges,” yet the ratios have not been updated.
The following organizations joined together in submitting the recommendations to state child care officials: North Texas early Education Alliance, Texas Association for the Education of Young Children, Texans Care for Children, Children at Risk, Early Learning Alliance, Council for a Strong American, Early Matters, Dallas College School of Education, United Ways of Texas, Pre-K 4 SA, Texas Pediatric Society, Ready Nation, TexProtects, Success by 6 Austin/Travis Coalition, and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.