State agencies want to improve access to early childhood settings for children with disabilities and developmental delays. Experts say a strategic plan to do so needs to be backed by funding and resources to achieve that goal.
A new four-year strategic plan created by the Texas Education Agency, Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the Texas Workforce Commission outlines the obstacles families face when navigating childcare, pre-K and support services for their children statewide. It also lays out a roadmap to inclusion for these children with recommendations from childcare providers, parents and early childhood intervention staff.
Experts say the plan acknowledges gaps that have been apparent for years, including in Tarrant County. A 2024 report by the Early Learning Alliance found that less than 25% of licensed or registered childcare programs in Tarrant County served children with disabilities. A lack of funding, resources and training for childcare providers and their staff forces them to turn away these children, according to the report…