Greetings PN-3 Collaborative,
With the legislative session behind us, the spotlight now turns to the Sunset Review process — the state’s accountability check for major agencies. Over the coming months, several agencies central to the lives of children and families will undergo review before recommendations are sent to the 90th Texas Legislature for consideration. This creates an important opportunity for advocates, providers, and families to hold state agencies accountable and shape how they serve Texans in the years ahead.
In this issue of our regular newsletter, we share updates and resources from our partners to help you stay informed and engaged throughout the review cycle. And we’re excited to announce our next open meeting in November, where we’ll discuss what these developments mean for our community and how we can work together to strengthen outcomes for children and families.
Get Involved
Texas PN-3 Collaborative Open Meeting
November 18, 10-11 AM CT | Virtual Via Zoom
I hold agencies to account,
Though I’m not a person or a single lawmaker.
Every 12 years I arrive,
With public input and a sharp-eyed team.
I make recommendations for the legislature to weigh,
And in the end, they decide the agency’s fate.
What am I?
... The Sunset Review Process
This is the year that the Sunset Commission reviews key agencies that impact the lives of children, including TWC, HHSC, DFPS, and DSHS. Want to learn more? Come to the Quarterly Texas PN-3 Meeting on November 18, 10:00-11:00.
Your Voice Matters: Take this Survey to Help Inform Sunset Commission Recommendations
CHILDREN AT RISK has created a survey to hear from child care providers and advocates! The findings of this survey will be summarized and shared with the Texas Sunset Commission. Survey results will be summarized and shared with the Sunset Commission. We hope that by elevating community voice, we can make public policy more effective for child care providers and families across Texas. Please complete this survey by September 30th – It’ll only take a few minutes!
Click here to take the survey.
CHILDREN AT RISK Announces Fall Texas Tour Dates
Various dates throughout October
This October, CHILDREN AT RISK’s ECE team will hit the road! We’re traveling to 12 cities across Texas to engage child care providers, advocates, business leaders, and community members in critical conversations about the state of early childhood education. Join us for these in-person events where we’ll dive into the latest data on Local Workforce Boards are spending their quality dollars, key takeaways from the 89th Texas Legislative Session and opportunities to get involved during the interim period.
When: Throughout October 2025 (Times will vary by location)
Highlights for this tour include information about:
- Child care deserts, and surprise: upcoming chronic child care desert information
- Local Workforce Board and TWC quality dollar expenditures and TRS progress
- Community conversation around the Sunset Review process that includes TWC, DFPS, HHSC, and DSHS. The more the merrier in this conversation! We need provider, family and other stakeholder thoughts
Click here to learn more and RSVP for a stop near you!
TexProtects Announces “From the Capitol to Your Community” Events
Various dates throughout October
TexProtects is inviting you to join one of our From the Capitol to Your Community events. These will be in-person interactive sessions to provide updates on the 89th Legislative Session and to gather input on issues impacting Texas families and community providers. We have visited Fort Bend County and New Braunfels, and we just had our Lubbock event last week. We look forward to visiting other parts of Texas over the next month. If you are interested in attending, please register via the links below:
- North Texas in Dallas on October 7th 1:00-4:00pm – Register here
- South Texas in McAllen on October 9th 10:30-12:30 – Register here
- Southeast Texas in Houston on October 16th 12:00-2:00pm – Register here
- East Texas in Longview on October 27th 10:00am-12:00pm – Register here
Policy Update
Texas Sunset Review is Underway
This year, several agencies central to the wellbeing of children and families — including DFPS, TWC, TJJD, HHSC, and DSHS — are under review by the regular Sunset process. As part of the Texas PN-3 collaborative, partners are working on advocacy strategies to support families, children, and early learning.
Stay tuned for more information, and learn more about this process and the recently released reports below.
The Sunset Process and Texas Agencies: What You Need to Know from TexProtects
- The Sunset process is a powerful tool for Texans to influence state government and to ensure state agency work truly does benefit Texas families. Your input at public hearings, for example, can directly inform the Sunset Commission’s recommendations, leading to positive improvements. Read more from TexProtects to learn about this essential process, and how you can use your voice to advocate to protect children and families.
Sunset Reports Are Out, Starting the Process to Reshape Agencies Serving Kids from Texans Care for Children
- State agencies just took one of the first steps to kick off this Sunset process, releasing their self-evaluation reports. They are quite long — HHSC submitted nearly 1,200 pages — although they largely consist of background information followed by a few pages on self-identified “Major Issues.” While in-depth analysis is underway, Texans Care for Children has highlighted initial points to watch in their latest blog post.
Congress Passed the Mega-Bill. What Does the Texas Legislature Do Now?
The bill that Congress passed in July includes significant cuts to health care and SNAP nutrition assistance. Texans Care for Children previously wrote about what it means for Texas families. Their latest blog post explains what the Medicaid and SNAP changes mean for the next Texas legislative session.