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.

Testimony

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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. 

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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.

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Implementation of Healthy Texas Women and Family Planning Program

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Testimony to Texas Health and Human Services Commission

As HHSC implements Healthy Texas Women (HTW) and the Family Planning Program (FPP), it should ensure access to preventive and preconception care - including screening and treatment for conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and postpartum depression - in order to positively impact women's health, future pregnancies, and the health of babies.

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Improving Outcomes of Children in Foster Care with Mental Health Concerns

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Testimony to the Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee

While safety is job one at CPS, we also need to make sure children in foster care have the support they need to be healthy, succeed in the classroom, and grow into self-sufficient adults.

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Preventing Childhood Obesity

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Testimony to House Public Health Committee

Texas can reduce the human and financial impact of obesity by working to address and prevent childhood obesity, with particular attention to healthy pregnancies and the first few months and years of a child's life. We urge the committee to improve access to prenatal and postpartum care; continue investing in evidence-based interventions such as home visiting; and build on the state's programs to improve healthy eating and fitness in childhood, such DSHS's Obesity Prevention Program.

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Encouraging At-Risk Students to Finish School

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Testimony to the House Public Education Committee

A strategy to put more Texas students on a path to graduate must include school climate, social and emotional learning, and addressing mental health concerns. The state should take an inventory of current practices in Texas schools; develop a coordinated plan that includes schools billing Medicaid for mental health services and partnering with local providers; and improve school health staffing at TEA and DSHS.

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Coordinated Behavioral Health Services & Expenditures

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Testimony to Senate Finance Committee

To improve the effectiveness, coordination, and outcomes of children's mental health services, policymakers should: 1) focus on student mental health, including through on-campus services; 2) build on successful coordination efforts, such as CRCGs, the YES Waiver, and Texas System of Care; and 3) coordinate with programs across state agencies, such as truancy and child abuse prevention.

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TEA Meeting on Implementation of High-Quality Pre-k Legislation (HB 4)

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Testimony to TEA

We appreciate TEA's efforts to engage stakeholders in the HB 4 implementation process. Key areas in implementation include data collection, collaboration with child care and Head Start providers, and the enforcement of the legislation's requirement that districts attempt to achieve low student-teacher ratios.

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Senate Health and Human Services Committee on SB 1269, Sen. West

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Testimony to Senate Health and Human Services Committee For SB 1269

I have submitted a list of 50 child care centers from across the state that support this bill, along with several organizations and individuals also in support. I have also submitted an analysis of data that DFPS has provided, showing that child care centers with high ratios also have higher rates of serious incidents and inadequate supervision.