Putting Our Knowledge to Work
Collaborative for Children works to improve the quality of early care and education through programs attuned to the needs of families, teachers and our community. The links below provide detailed descriptions of community programs and services. Strengthening FamiliesFostering safe and nurturing families is the first step to helping children thrive in the challenging world around them. We partner with parents and caregivers to help them create stable home environments that encourage the healthy development of young children and provide ample opportunities for learning through our Parent Education Classes. We also help families with one of the most important decisions they have to make – selecting a quality child care program. Our Resource and Referral helpline and readily-accessible online database provide parents with the support they need to make well-informed decisions for their families 24/7. Improving Learning Environments and Empowering Educators Because Texas has some of the nation's lowest standards for early care and education, many child care programs fail to provide the stimulation that young children need to do well later in school. Instead of allocating sufficient funding to strengthen the early systems that can help get our children off to a healthy start, Texas tends to invest its educational resources building infrastructure in kindergarten through twelfth grade. A lack of funding for the care and education of these children ages birth through six can result in academic challenges for these children in their later years. Often times, such children fall behind academically and never catch up. By providing hands-on training opportunities, improved classroom materials, teacher scholarships for continuing education and wage supplements, we help teachers maximize the growth of the young lives entrusted to them. Inspiring Community Action and Awareness Knowledge fuels action, which is why we are committed to educating the community about the critical early years of a child's life. By participating in community events, leveraging the media, and using interactive mediums to spread our message, we work every day to help parents, educators and legislators understand the connection between quality early experiences and a child's chances for lifelong success. As a member of the Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition (TECEC) and the local One Voice collaboration, we also work closely with our partners to advocate for state and national policies that raise the standards for early care and education in our community. |
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