As support for Texas child care reform grows, most Tarrant County lawmakers remain quiet
Child care and early childhood education experts are optimistic about Texas lawmakers addressing issues within the sector this upcoming legislative session, but most Tarrant County representatives have stayed quiet on the topic.
A statement released earlier this month to all lawmakers by more than 120 groups from across the state — including multiple child advocacy groups, chambers of commerce and United Way affiliates — called for child care policy reform through four policy recommendations. The groups implored all lawmakers to address issues such as the state’s waiting list of about 80,000 children who are awaiting financial assistance to help pay for child care, in addition to the gaps in specialized care for children with disabilities, infants and toddlers, and families in need of alternative hour care.
Although most Tarrant County lawmakers did not respond to inquiries by the Star-Telegram about the released statement, experts in the field say the overall momentum and engagement by state leaders is expected to translate into legislative changes after the session begins on Jan. 14.
The Star-Telegram reached out to the 13 lawmakers who currently represent various parts of Tarrant County and are running for reelection in November to ask for their responses to the statement and policy recommendations. Only three responded to requests for comment.
The lawmakers who did not respond to the Star-Telegram include: Senators Kelly Hancock, Phil King and Tan Parker; Reps. Nate Schatzline, Giovanni Capriglione, Ramon Romero, Jr., Nicole Collier, David Cook and Charlie Geren. The Star-Telegram also did not receive a response from David Lowe, who is running unopposed in the general election after defeating incumbent Rep. Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth, in the May primary run-off election.
Rep. Tony Tinderholt declined to comment through his chief of staff.
Rep. Chris Turner said in a statement he is supportive of the policy recommendations outlined by the statewide groups and is committed to investing in them.
“Childcare is an essential service that is fundamental to the economic growth of our state. I am supportive of raising state funding levels for programs that increase access to affordable, high-quality childcare including the Child Care Services program, grants to expand affordable care in high-need areas, and grants that increase access to public pre-K,” he said.
Rep. Salman Bhojani told the Star-Telegram he also views child care as a necessity for parents to be able to work. It’s bipartisan, he said.
“I understand that child care is really, really important, and I’m ready to get to work next session to work on this important issue,” he said. “I am completely on board with the fact that we need to make sure that we incentivize young families to get back into the workplace as well as provide more investment into child care.”
Bhojani noted how Texas is the world’s eighth largest economy, and if the state wants to move up as the seventh largest economy, it needs to invest in child care and early childhood education. Bhojani authored a bill last session to introduce free, full-day pre-K for 4-year-olds and plans to reintroduce it this upcoming session but with a greater focus on providing a full day of funding to districts that decide to offer universal pre-K to 4-year-olds. The state only foots the bill for a half-day of instruction but it also offers an early education allotment to help districts provide a full day of instruction for certain children who qualify.
“I think as a state, we need to make an investment in these children and be able to make sure that we can move the state along,” Bhojani said.
Policy expert: ‘We’ve never had a better opportunity’ for legislative changes
Experts say the attention on child care policy right now in Texas is unprecedented. It’s the first time in recent memory that committees in both the House and Senate have been assigned to study interim charges related to child care ahead of lawmakers convening in Austin. Additionally, Speaker Dade Phelan announced on Oct. 17 the creation of eight work groups House members can join on a voluntary basis, with one group focusing on child care accessibility and affordability.
“The objective of these working groups is to provide a nonpartisan, constructive forum for members with interest in specific policy areas to brainstorm ideas, explore solutions, and collaborate with colleagues ahead of the session. They will not be a venue for formal debate on specific proposals, nor will they replace the role of our standing House committees, which have conducted excellent work over the interim. Rather, they are intended to complement committees’ efforts by offering members who plan to file pertinent legislation a chance to collaborate and fine-tune their ideas ahead of the 89th Legislature,” Phelan told House members.
The Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Economic Development has a hearing scheduled for Nov. 14. Among its interim charges is studying ways to boost workforce productivity by way of child care access and availability. The House Committee on International Relations and Economic Development heard testimony on Sept. 10 on early childhood education while the House Committee on Public Education on Aug. 13 discussed reading and math outcomes for students in pre-K through third grade, which included testimony advocating for pre-K partnerships between community-based child care providers and school districts.
David Feigen, director of early learning policy at Texans Care for Children, said the current spotlight on child care in Texas has been years in the making, but it gained steam more broadly in the last regular session when federal relief money was running out that helped keep child care providers’ doors open.
“There was a $2.29 billion package discussed in the House Appropriations and Senate finance committee that really put a spotlight on the Legislature’s potential role in addressing this problem. There was a ton of media attention. Tons of people came out to testify, and lawmakers really began to grapple with this for the first time,” Feigen said. “Although that didn’t pass, I do think it galvanized people and helped lawmakers figure out that they do have a role in this conversation.”
Texas voters also have weighed in on initiatives to provide additional cushioning to the fragile child care industry. In November 2023, Proposition 2 passed with almost 65% of the vote, giving local governments the option to provide property tax exemptions to qualifying child care centers. The Fort Worth City Council approved a 100% tax break while the Tarrant County Commissioners Court approved a 50% tax break earlier this year.
Feigen called Proposition 2’s passage “a really vital” step that sent a message from voters to lawmakers that more needs to be done. When considering actions such as this one, and the formal recognition of child care by committees in both the House and Senate, Feigen said the momentum leading up to the 2025 session is exciting to witness.
“We’ve never had a better opportunity to bring changes that really make a difference for Texas families. We’re excited that business leaders, community organizations, faith-based groups, and other Texans are really coming together to urge lawmakers to make child care a priority,” he said.
