Early Childhood, Press Releases
Peter Clark
Statement on Gov. Abbott Opening Child Care

State must closely monitor health concerns and provide federal funds to providers

Statement on Gov. Abbott Opening Child Care
Blog, Child Health
Peter Clark
Over a Million Texans May Lose Insurance Under ...

By now, we all know that Monday’s CBO report estimated that the Senate health care bill ("BCRA") will increase the number of uninsured Americans by 22 million. And now we’re starting to see some estimates of what that would look like in Texas.

Early Childhood, Blog
Texans Care for Children
Local Research on Texas Pre-k Grants Provides ...

Districts urged the Legislature to provide adequate and predicable funding for boosting pre-k quality.

Early Childhood, Testimony
Andrea Brauer
Sunset Advisory Commission Report of the Texas ...

Testimony to the Sunset Advisory Commission

Texans Care for Children, among other suggestions, recommends Establishing an Office of Learning at the Texas Education Agency.

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Recommendations for Improving Texas’ Child Welfare System

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Testimony to the House Human Services Committee

Several studies and the findings in the recent court case show that one of the key steps the Legislature must take is reducing CPS staff caseloads so that dedicated, hard-working employees can effectively keep children safe. Texas must also ensure children in foster care have the support they need to overcome past trauma, grow up healthy, succeed in the classroom, and develop into self-sufficient adults. Texas should provide comprehensive services to children in foster care, so they can reach their potential. 

In the News: Advocates Want Texas to Help Provide Mosquito Repellent to Zika-Prone Populations

KUT - A number of health care leaders and advocates want Texas to include mosquito repellent in pharmacy benefits for people on Medicaid and other government health programs. 

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TEA Announces 578 School Districts to Receive HB 4 Pre-k Grants

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Today the Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced that 578 independent school districts and charter districts educating the vast majority of Texas student will receive grants for the 2016-2017 school year under the state's new high-quality pre-k grant program, demonstrating great interest across the state in early childhood education.

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In the News: Call for State Budget Cuts Includes Plenty of Exemptions

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Houston Chronicle - Texas leaders call for 4% cut to state budget over the next two years. 

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House Hearing Spotlights Healthy Pregnancies and Healthy Babies

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In a wide ranging hearing, Texas legislators heard from experts and advocates on the current challenges and possible solutions to improve the health of pregnant women and babies in Texas. We appreciate the House Public Health committee identifying the health of infants as a key indicator for the overall health of a community and seeking out effective policy solutions. 

In the News: Abbott Asked to Study Texas School Policing

Houston Chronicle - Nine child-advocacy groups on Tuesday called for Gov. Greg Abbott to form a task force to study school policing, citing a spate of recent episodes in which officers were accused of using excessive force.

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Achieving Healthy Outcomes for Moms and Babies

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Testimony to the House Public Health Committee Interim Hearing on Birth Outcomes

Texas can take steps to ensure healthier, stronger babies are born across the state by improving access to preconception, prenatal, and postpartum care; continuing to invest in evidence-based home visiting programs that support moms and babies during and after pregnancy; and streamline Medicaid eligibility and enrollment and leverage existing outreach and education efforts to target eligible but uninsured pregnant women during their first trimester of pregnancy.