Part I: Identify the Issue: Explain how the issue of A.) Providing

high quality child care for all children and B.) Children living in poverty is affecting children, families, and communities in the state of Texas.
.
Part II: Identify Your Strategies: List three strategies you believe would be effective in advocating for the issue you chose. For each strategy, include the specifics of how you would carry it out.
Part III: Identify the Potential Impact: For each strategy, explain its potential impact on young children and families in your community. Set a goal for implementing each strategy.

 ATTACHMENT PREVIEW Download attachment

Children in the StatesTEXASSeptember 2015Child Population7,115,614 children lived in Texas in 2014; 67 percent were children of color.33 percent were White2 percent were two or more races49 percent were Hispanic<1 percent were American Indian/Alaska Native12 percent were Black<1 percent were Pacific Islander4 percent were AsianChild PovertyNearly 1 in 4 (24.6 percent) of Texas’s children were poor in 2014, a total of 1,728,982 children.1Texas ranked 39thin child poverty among states.2More than 1 in 10 children lived in extreme poverty at less than half the poverty level.The youngest children were the poorest age group. More than 1 in 4 children under age 6 were poor;nearly half of the poor children were extremely poor.Children of color in Texas are disproportionately poor.Nearly 1 in 3 Black children, more than 1 in 3 Hispanic children, and nearly 1 in 4 American Indian/AlaskaNative children were poor in 2014, compared to nearly 1 in 9 White children.Child Hunger and HomelessnessChild poverty in Texas leads to unacceptable child homelessness and hunger.More than 101,000 Texas public school students were homeless in the 2012-2013 school year.In 2014, more than 2 full-time minimum-wage jobs were necessary to be able to afford a fair market renttwo-bedroom apartment in Texas and still have enough left over for food, utilities and other necessities.More than 27 percent of children lived in households that lacked access to adequate food in 2013. Nearly37 percent of children ages 10-17 were overweight or obese in 2011-2012. Texas ranked 45thof 50 statesin child food security and 46thin percent of children overweight and obese.Nearly 32 percent of Texas children relied on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) tomeet their nutritional needs on an average month in FY2013.More than 88 percent of Texas children receiving a free and reduced-price lunch during the school yeardid not participate in Summer Nutrition Programs in 2014 – ranking Texas 35thof 50 states in ensuringthat children have adequate summer nutrition.Child HealthAlthough the majority of Texas’s children have access to health coverage, that does not guaranteeenrollment in coverage or access to care, which can jeopardize their education and their future.In 2013, 83.7 percent of eligible children participated in Medicaid or CHIP, Texas’s Children’s HealthInsurance Program. In FY2013, a total of 3,504,386 Texas children ages 0-18 were enrolled in Medicaid,and 1,034,613 in CHIP.More than 888,000 Texas children ages 0-17 (12.6 percent) were uninsured in 2013. The state had the2ndhighest rate of uninsured children among states.1A family of four was poor if it was living on less than $23,834 a year, $1,986 a month, $458 a week and $65 a day, andextremely poor if living on less than $11,917 a year, $993 a month, $229 a week and $33 a day.2The state ranked 1stis the best for children for that outcome and the state ranked 50this the worst for children.

View the Answer

In 2012, 516,000 uninsured children ages 0-18 were eligible for Medicaid or CHIP but not enrolled.Early Childhood and EducationLack of early childhood investments deprives children of critical supports in the early years andreduces school readiness.In 2013, the average annual cost of center-based child care for an infant was $8,619 – 1.1 percent morethan the average annual in-state tuition and fees at a public four-year college in Texas.Texas had 16,470 children on a waiting list for child care assistance in early 2014.On average, 40 percent of Texas’s 3- and 4-year-olds were enrolled in public or private preschool from2011-2013. Only 33 percent of children from families with incomes under 200 percent of poverty wereenrolled.Texas’s state-funded preschool program met 2 of the 10 quality benchmarks set by the National Institutefor Early Education Research in 2013-2014.Texas’s schools fail to educate all children, closing off a crucial pathway out of poverty.In 2013, 72 percent of Texas’s fourth grade public school students were unable to read at grade level and59 percent were unable to compute at grade level.82 percent of Black fourth graders could not read at grade level and 76 percent could not compute.83 percent of Hispanic fourth graders could not read at grade level and 70 percent could not compute.82 percent of Texas public high school students graduated on time in 2012, placing Texas 22ndamongstates. 73 percent of Black students and 80 percent of Hispanic students graduated on time compared to84 percent of White students.Students who are suspended or expelled are more likely to drop out of school. During the 2011-2012school year, 9 percent of Texas public secondary school students received at least one out-of-schoolsuspension, placing Texas 22ndamong 48 ranked states. For Black and Hispanic students, thepercentages were 19 percent and 9 percent, respectively.Children Facing Special RisksMany vulnerable children need treatment, services and permanent families.In Texas, 64,603 children were abused or neglected in 2013 – 9.2 out of 1,000 children.On the last day of FY2013, there were 29,589 Texas children in foster care.Too many Texas children are involved in the juvenile justice system.124,072 children were arrested in Texas in 2012 – a rate of 4,040 out of 100,000 children ages 10-17.4,671 children and youth were in residential placement in 2011. 32 percent of the children in residentialplacement were Black, 48 percent were Hispanic, and 19 percent were White.69 Texas children were in adult jails in 2013.Texas spent 2.4 times as much per prisoner as per public school student in FY2012.Texas ranked 13thout of 41 ranked states in preventing child and teen gun deaths.A total of 208 children and teens were killed by guns in Texas in 2013 – a rate of 2.7 out of 100,000children and teens.For sources please visitwww.childrensdefense.org/cits