Texas, like all states, has a unique early childhood policy landscape that is shaped by economics, demographics, political history, coalitions, and other factors that create a state-specific environment for policy advocacy.
State early childhood policy progress is dependent both on the state’s environment and the numerous efforts—by the organizations listed on this page, other organizations, parents, policymakers, practitioners, and more—who work both independently and collaboratively to achieve wins for young children.
Research shows that family economic security is foundational to children’s overall wellbeing. Research also shows that widespread disparities in opportunity (especially by race) drive wide disparities in outcomes. States with policies that offer strong support to young children and their families are more likely to see 1) declining numbers of children in low-income households and 2) low racial disparity among those children.
Young Children in Low-Income Households: Declining
Approximately 44 percent (1,537,000) of the state’s children 0-8 live in households below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (2022). This number represents a decrease from 47 percent (1,681,000) in 2017.1
Racial Disparity Among Young Children Living in Low-Income Households: Moderate
Black, Hispanic/Latino, and/or Native children aged 0-8 are significantly more likely to be living in households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level than are Asian and non-Hispanic White children.2
State General Fund Appropriations: Growing
In June of 2023, Texas’ governor signed the state’s fiscal 2024-2025 biennial budget. The budget approved by the legislative conference committee provides $321.3 billion in all funds over the biennium, an increase of 5.95 percent from the 2022-2023 biennium. The budget allocates $144 billion in general revenue funds over the biennium, an increase of 10.5 percent over the 2022-2023 biennium; general revenue -dedicated funds decrease 14.8 percent to $6.8 billion.3
Largest Per Capita Revenue Sources (after federal transfers):4
Texas does not levy an individual income tax or corporate income tax but does have a gross receipts tax. (Census counts this revenue as either general sales tax revenue or selective sales tax revenue.)
State Budget Rules:4
Texas uses a biennial budget. The legislature must pass a balanced budget, and is prohibited from carrying a deficit over into the following year. The Texas Constitution further limits spending growth with a budget rule based on personal income growth. However, the limit may be overridden with a simple legislative majority. Texas also limits total authorized debt and debt service incurred by the state.
Political Alignment: Aligned Republican
During 2024, the state’s Senate and House were both Republican controlled. The state’s Governor was also a Republican.5
Types of Common Ballot Measures Available:6 One
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Organizations Include:
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Multi-State Initiatives Include:7
Highlights from the state’s early childhood policy advocacy community include:8
Advocates successfully advocated for an administrative policy change to increase the number of young children ages 3 to 5 with developmental delays who receive early childhood special education services. Until recently, Texas was one of only three states that did not include developmental delay as an eligibility category for young children to receive Early Childhood Special Education Services (ECSE). ESCE is operated through local school districts and is available to children three to five years of age. A child must be evaluated and meet one of the 13 disability areas identified in federal IDEA law. ECSE enables young kids to receive services and support in an early childhood learning setting that works best for them, such as the public school classroom, Head Start, community-based child care, or home. During the summer of 2024, TEA finalized new regulations and Texas’ Board of Education voted to adopt the “developmental delay” eligibility category for ECSE services.
Advocates’ work with partners on Medicaid disenrollments and the Medicaid application process led the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to create a way for Texans to check on the status of their Medicaid applications. For years, Medicaid families and the application assisters that help them have complained that they cannot see the status of their Medicaid application or renewal after submission on the YourTexasBenefits app or website. Applicants must instead call 2-1-1 to get any information–often waiting on hold for an hour. Advocacy included helping legislators inquire to HHSC about this problem and raising this problem during several meetings with the agency. HHSC is developing a “timeline tracker” that allows applicants to see where their application is in the process (e.g. received, reviewed, approved, etc). While this isn’t a perfect solution, it may reduce call volume to 2-1-1 and reduce the need for 211 or eligibility workers to answer questions, thereby allowing them to focus on other inquiries from families.
With the passage of Proposition 2: Child Care Property Tax Relief as a statewide constitutional amendment in November 2023, local city and county municipalities now have the authority to adopt the legislation for their communities. In January 2024, advocates pivoted from Prop 2 advocacy to implementation advocacy and launched Childcaretaxrelief.com, which provides a library of resources to equip local advocates, stakeholders, and child care providers with the tools and language they need to educate local elected officials and ultimately pass this local measure. They held webinars and had numerous interactions with local communities working to support child care. The work has been highly effective: 16 counties and 11 cities, including all of the major cities and counties, have already passed a property tax relief policy.
Every four years, the Texas Workforce Commission reviews the standards and programs surrounding the Texas Rising Star program, the state’s quality rating improvement system. In 2023, the commission formed a workgroup (including Alliance grantees Children at Risk and Texans Care for Children) to consider stakeholder input and develop recommendations for changes regarding the certification guidelines. After months of conversations and feedback, changes were implemented in September of 2024. While the intent of this review was not to significantly overhaul the system, substantial changes were made with the goal of making the quality-rating program more effective and streamlined for child care providers. Changes included everything from revisions to the screening forms used upon entry into the program to improvements related to director and staff qualifications, teacher-child Interactions, program administration, and indoor/outdoor environments.
The Alliance for Early Success has two principal grantees in Texas. Children at Risk serves as a catalyst for change to improve the quality of life for children. Through its research and advocacy programs, they are a leader in understanding the health, safety and economic indicators impacting children, and educating public policy makers about their importance in improving the lives of children. Texans Care for Children is a statewide, nonpartisan, multi-issue children’s policy organization. They develop policy solutions, produce research, and engage community leaders to educate policymakers, the media, and the public about what works to improve the well-being of Texas children and families.
Children at Risk and Texans Care for Children are working to advance early childhood policies in several areas that align with the Alliance’s birth-through-eight policy framework:
Child Care
Child Care Workforce
Preschool and Pre-K
K-3rd Grade
Maternal Health
Infant & Child Health
Early Intervention (Age 0-3)
Child Welfare
Financing
Click here for more information on advocates’ policy agenda.
The road to success for a recent 12-month postpartum Medicaid extension in Texas in 2023 was paved with years of advocacy work on the ground. For years, advocates at Texans Care for Children and other organizations have worked to build trusting and collaborative relationships among all the groups working to advance the crucial maternal health issue.
NOTES:
1 Kids Count Data Center, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, November, 2022
2 National Center for Children in Poverty, Children Ages 0 through 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, October 2024, NCCP analysis of ACS 5-Year Estimates – Public Use Microdata Sample 2018-2022.
3 National Association of State Budget Officers, Summaries of Fiscal Year 2024 Enacted Budgets, October 11, 2023.
4 Urban Institute, State Fiscal Briefs, July 2023
5 National Conference of State Legislatures, 2023 State & Legislative Partisan Composition, February 28, 2023.
6 Ballotpedia, Ballot Measures by State, Kids Count Data Center, retrieved May, 2023.
7 Alliance for Early Success, Multi-State Initiatives for Early Childhood Policy Advocacy, April, 2022.
8 Alliance for Early Success, State-Wide Advocacy Highlights Survey, April-August, 2023.
Sign up for state early childhood policy news, advocacy resources, and event invitations.
© 2024 Alliance for Early Success
The Alliance for Early Success does not endorse or advocate for specific legislation or candidates.
