As we enter 2026, the Texas PN-3 Collaborative remains focused on strengthening the systems that support young children and families, even amid uncertainty and shifting policy landscapes. This moment calls for continued coordination, shared learning, and clear advocacy rooted in community experience. Together, our partners are staying engaged, lifting up family and provider voices, and reinforcing the importance of sustained investment in child care and family well-being as we look ahead to the year’s work and the coming 90th Texas Legislature next year.
Get Involved
Texas PN-3 Collaborative’s Next Open Meeting
Wednesday, February 25th from 10:00 – 11:30 AM CT
Join us virtually for the first open meeting of 2026! This Open Meeting will share our collaborative recommendations for the Texas Sunset Commission surrounding policies on connecting families, child care, and family financial security.
2026 NAEYC ECE Workforce Survey
Each year, this survey captures the lived experiences of more than 10,000 early childhood educators and program leaders across roles, settings, and states. From compensation and staffing to classroom conditions and program challenges, these voices help shape federal and state policy, inform media coverage, and strengthen advocacy for the ECE workforce. Questions? Reach out to advocacy@naeyc.org
Survey details:
- Open to all early childhood professionals
- Available in English and Spanish
- Takes about 10–15 minutes
- Open January 8–22, 2026
- Participants are entered into a drawing for one of ten $100 gift cards
Recently
Listening to Texas: Heartfelt Discoveries from the Fall 2025 Early Childhood Tour
Each fall, CHILDREN AT RISK visits 12 Texas communities to engage early childhood education advocates and stakeholders in conversations surrounding quality, challenges, and concerns. This year, in preparation for the Sunset Commission process, they explored the questions around state agency collaboration, cross-agency improvements, efficacy of independent agencies, and improvements that could better support Texas’ child care workforce.
Read their findings and recommendations
A Journey of Advocacy: Insights on Family Well-Being in Texas
Families are facing increasingly complex needs that require solutions spanning multiple state agencies and systems. In 2025, TexProtects launched their From the Capitol to Your Community series, traveling to seven communities across Texas to hear from 200+ participants. These convenings were a unique opportunity for their policy implementation and advocacy work to be guided by the experiences of local providers and leaders dedicated to family well-being. Through this series, they uncovered three urgent challenges impacting Texas families.
The Legislature Should Study Children’s Policy Priorities During the Interim
We’re in another key moment for influencing the policies that will be on lawmakers’ agendas during the 2027 Texas legislative session. Leaders of the Texas House and Senate are currently collecting input from legislators and other Texans to help them decide what issues they want legislative committees to dig into during their hearings and research this year. The topics they assign to each committee — known as “interim charges” — will help set priorities for the 2027 session and start the process of vetting potential policy solutions. Texans Care for Children recently shared the interim charges they are recommending to legislators.