Child care advocates say major wins were garnered during Texas’ 2025 legislative session. Out of multiple bills that passed both the Senate and House and were sent to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk, there are a handful expected to make a significant impact not only on the state but on Tarrant County.
Early childhood education advocates say the most notable legislation that came forward this session is the $100 million earmarked within the state budget for child care scholarships, also known as subsidies. This funding will begin to address the state’s growing waitlist of about 95,000 eligible families awaiting a scholarship to help pay the cost of the child care, so parents can go to work while their children receive high-quality care and education.
There are almost 15,500 families in Tarrant County on the scholarship waitlist, according to the Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County. It is estimated that about 600-700 new scholarships will be awarded to these families through this additional funding, according to Catherine Davis, director of policy at Child Care Associates…