Texas
Working families in Texas need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Texas. But too many working families in Texas are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Texas economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
There are 2.3M children ages 5 and under in Texas – 60% of these children have all available parents in the workforce.
The typical annual cost of child care for an infant in Texas is around $11,000.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 13% of eligible families in Texas. (This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care.)
On average, child care providers in Texas earn just $27,880 a year; this can make it a challenge to recruit and retain this workforce, leading to supply issues.
Texas’ economy loses $11.4B annually due to child care challenges.
Texas: In The Headlines
Nearly half of licensed child care centers at risk of closing in Texas, association claims
KPRC | March 24, 2025
A recent report from the Texas Licensed Child Care Association reveals an apparent looming crisis in the state’s child care sector, with nearly half of licensed child care centers at risk of closing.
Texas Cost Of Living Crisis With Daycare Expenses On The Rise
KMXJ | mARCH 26, 2025
On average, in Texas, parents are paying around $818 per month for one child to attend daycare. The unbelievable part of that is that we’re actually on the low end for costs nationally.
Affordable child care still inaccessible to many Texas families
Texas Public Radio | aPRIL 14, 2025
“Texas is in trouble when it comes to child care,” said Bob Sanborn, the president and CEO of Children at Risk. “We’ve made progress on improving quality, but when it comes to access… we seem to be moving in the wrong direction.
Texas Resources & News
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