Through the Eyes of a Parent

One of the most indisputable findings of research on early childhood education and development is the key contribution that parent involvement has on positive child outcomes.  Parents are a child's first and most important teacher and that is why TECEC has designated 2008 the "Year of the Parent."  A parent can be a child's best advocate, and TECEC has been traveling to numerous communities throughout the state in order to partner with parents in its advocacy efforts.

A growing number of parents rely on quality early care and education programs including child care, the federal Head Start program, and public pre-k so that they can go to work to support their families.

Did you know?

More than half (57%) of children in Texas under the age of 6 in are in families with working parents; and

More than half (51%) of women in Texas with children under the age of 3 are in the workforce.  

High quality early care and education programs can play an essential role in ensuring that children develop to their full potential, enter school ready to succeed, and stay safe while their parents are at work.  However, finding affordable, quality early education programs is not an easy task.  In their 2007 Family Budget Estimator Report, http://www.cppp.org/fbe/ , the Center for Public Policy Priorities found that:

For families with two or three children, monthly child care expenses exceed the cost of housing in all 27 of the state's metropolitan areas; and

On average child care tuition costs represents nearly a quarter of monthly expenses for a two-parent, two child family

To ensure that parent voices are heard during the upcoming 81st Legislative Session, TECEC has developed a series of tools to educate parents about the legislative process; tangible ways to get involved in public education and advocacy efforts; as well as, specific strategies for raising awareness to policymakers about the challenges that parents face in finding affordable high quality early care and education programs.  

Please join our efforts by sharing your story with us, downloading the Parent Advocacy Toolkit and choosing one of ten ways of getting involved, or simply contact us at 512.476.7939 or dtitcombe@tecec.org to discuss additional ideas.  With your help, Texas legislators will be able to hear directly from parents on the importance of child care, Head Start, and public school pre-k programs for children ages birth to five!

Helpful Tools:

Resources for Parents

TECEC Parent Advocacy Toolkit
 

I Am Your Child Parenting Guides

Positive Behavioral Support Program for Children Experiencing Challenging Behaviors  

New Research:

Family Budget Estimator Project: What It Really Takes to Get By in Texas

Relevant Events:

Education Commission of the States (ECS) National Forum on Education Policy in Austin, TX June 30 – July 2 “Transforming Education for the 21st Century”.  For more information, visit http://www.ecs.org/html/meetingsEvents/NF2008/NF2008_main.asp .

NAEYC National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development June 8 – June 11 in New Orleans, LA.  For more information, visit
http://www.naeyc.org/conferences/institute.asp .

Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA) Summer Conference June 11-13 in Austin, TX.  For more information and to register, please visit
http://www.tepsa.org/SC/2008/SummerConference2008.html