Texas PN-3 Newsletter
Greetings PN-3 Collaborative,
Over the summer months, we will continue to build momentum around key interest areas to guide our advocacy for children throughout Texas. In this newsletter we share two resources with you to aid in researching key resources needed to continue laying a firm foundation for infants and toddlers to thrive in our state. We know these tools will be useful in determining what efforts will continue to push us toward greater outcomes for children as they continue to grow. We look forward to connecting with you again in July!
The PN-3 Collaborative is a partnership between CHILDREN AT RISK, TexProtects, and Texans Care for Children. We have partnered to lead a strategic state legislative agenda that aligns with and enhances efforts across the state to assure Texas infants, toddlers, and their families get off to the strongest start. CHILDREN AT RISK will be taking over administrative support for the PN-3 Collaborative.
Updates
Child Care Desert Map
Children at Risk recently released updated child care desert maps reflecting data through fall of 2023. High-quality early childhood education is essential not only for the future academic achievements of children, particularly those from low-income families, but for the overall Texas economy. However, child care remains out of reach for many. Due to the nature of the industry, child care facilities continue to feel financial effects on their businesses due to the increase in wages and other increased costs. CHILDREN AT RISK recently updated our child care deserts maps. A child care desert is where there are three times the number of children under the age of 6 than there are child care seats.?These maps allow community members, organizational leaders, parents, and policy makers to see what the map of child care deserts looks like in their region. To learn more, contact Kim Kofron at [email protected].
Updated Texas School Readiness Dashboard
Texans Care for Children recently released the updated Texas School Readiness Dashboard. The data in the Dashboard show that Texas is falling short in a number of early childhood measures — such as children’s health coverage, child hunger, and access to high-quality child care — that play a key role in determining whether children start kindergarten ready to learn and succeed in school. Following up on the original publication of the Dashboard in 2022, the updated Dashboard includes more recent data, updated policy recommendations, and — for the first time — data comparing different regions of Texas. The Dashboard is designed to help state policymakers, community leaders, parents, and others set goals and measure progress towards ensuring more children are school-ready. If you are interested in learning more about the Dashboard, please contact Texans Care for Children’s Research Director, Chelsea Cornelius, at [email protected].
Join the Texas Prevention Network!
Open to all organizations that play a role in preventing child maltreatment and/or in strengthening families, the Texas Prevention Network?connects peers to each other across the state, hosts educational and learning sessions, facilitates resource sharing, and disseminates updates from relevant state agencies and others engaged in this work.? Currently the Texas Prevention Network includes over 235 members from 134 counties and is rapidly growing!
If you are interested in joining, please reach out to TexProtects’ Director of Partnerships and Community Impact, Kitty Surve.