It is not enough to effect change in only one aspect of a child's life. A child has interconnected and overlapping needs.
The needs of children and families do not always fit neatly in one compartment of a child's life. Children are not solely students or patients, family members or community members, future voters or future workers. They are all these things at once, with overlapping needs and assets. Indeed, it is the whole child who brings promise for Texas. There are ways to create meaningful change across all our promise areas by recognizing that the social environment, the positions of public leaders, and parents' commitment shape the lives of every Texas child.
What Texas can do and why it matters:
Plan with the future of Texas, our children, in mind. Among the 50 states, Texas is the one that spends the least on each of its people. A state demographer has suggested we'll get what we pay for: our state's children are on course to become the first generation that is less educated and has lower earnings than the one before. More >>
Make the choices that produce better outcomes for children. Texas ranks among the bottom five states for overall child wellbeing, according to the national organization Every Child Matters. In an age when we have evidence about the programs and opportunities that work best for kids, it doesn't have to be this way. More >>
Hold government and its leaders accountable. The success of Texas children determines the future of Texas, so our state needs oversight, accountability, transparency, and the insight of youth and families in decisions that shape children's lives. More >>
Give all children every opportunity to reach their potential. Even today, Texas children frequently encounter mistreatment for something as unchangeable as their race, ethnicity, or ability. The data suggest these children's experiences come less out of intentional prejudice than from deeply embedded patterns and systems we as a state must learn to move beyond. More >>
