To maximize the most crucial period in childhood for economic and community benefits, a shift towards early education is crucial. This is the objective of Early Matters, whose promise to families is to ensure that all children have high-quality early learning and development to create a strong future for themselves, their families, and the community.
Research indicates that in 2021, Texas single parents with median incomes spent approximately 32% of their income on childcare, according to Child Care Aware. Notably, childcare in Texas costs more than in-state college tuition, and families who are early in their careers have much less time to prepare financially. This often leads to local economic struggles as parents exit the workforce to save on childcare expenses.
This is why Early Matters is committed to ensuring that all of our neighbors have access to high-quality early learning and development through the power of partnerships, investment, and the people. To dramatically improve quality and access for some of our earliest learners, the McKenna Foundation, Early Matters, and other partners are working to create an ecosystem whose actions include:
- Guiding vision and strategy
- Supporting aligned activities
- Establishing shared measurement practices
- Building public will
- Advancing policy
- Mobilizing funding
