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For the first time, this new report on the Texas high-quality pre-K grant program established by HB 4, provides focused regional analysis of Rio Grande Valley participation in the grant program, with research-based policy recommendations to strengthen and expand pre-K in Texas.

Established by the Legislature and Governor Greg Abbott last year, the new pre-K grant program is providing participating school districts with grants for the 2016-2017 school year to improve pre-K effectiveness for currently eligible children.

The report, “Analysis of Rio Grande Valley Participation in the Texas High-Quality Pre-K HB 4 Grant Program,” was produced in partnership with Texans Care for Children and with the support of the Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium (TEGAC). In collaboration with TEGAC and Texans Care, Children’s Defense Fund-Texas and five other nonprofit, nonpartisan groups working in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and Waco conducted locally-focused assessments of HB 4 implementation and community Pre-K priorities to inform policy efforts in the 2017 legislative session. The groups' preliminary statewide report can be found here.

If asking parents this simple question could help ensure children stay healthier, do better in school, and even save a child's life, should schools do it? More and more districts around the country are answering with a resounding yes! CDF and AASA, The School Superintendents Association, have just released Happy, Healthy and Ready to Learn: Insure All Children! a toolkit to help schools and districts connect children to health care coverage as part of routine school enrollment. The toolkit offers a clear set of steps, useful tools, tips and lessons learned that we hope superintendents, school districts, teachers and parents across the country will embrace and make connecting uninsured children to health coverage through schools routine in America. Get started now to help #InsureAllChildren.