Several upcoming House and Senate hearings offer a great opportunity for lawmakers, policy experts, families, and others to discuss key children’s policy issues facing the next Legislature. Texans Care for Children will use these as an opportunity to advocate for policies that improve children’s lives and the future of our state.
New Report Points to a Path Forward for Texas Foster Care
New Report Shows CPS Caseloads Still in Danger Zone for Texas Kids
Five Opportunities to Stand Up for Kids in ECI
In the News: Head of Texas Family and Protective Services Retires
Encouraging At-Risk Students to Finish School
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.
Texas Education Grantmakers Partner with Texans Care for Children for Initial Assessment of School District Demand for New Pre-k Grants
The Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium (TEGAC) is pleased to announce it is awarding a grant in the amount of $90,000 to Texans Care for Children to analyze school district participation in the state's new high-quality pre-k grant program and issue its findings prior to the 2017 legislative session.
In the News: Texas Ties Pre-k Grants to More Teacher Training or Experience
Coordinated Behavioral Health Services & Expenditures
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.
New Texas Education Commissioner Morath Has Promising Pre-k Record
Some education stakeholders have expressed concerns about his views on school choice and his work on a "home rule" proposal in Dallas. But on the subject of pre-K, his track record as a Dallas ISD Trustee suggests he is a strong believer in the power of quality pre-K to boost school readiness and academic achievement.