[vc_empty_space height="-5px"]
a
Alienum phaedrum torquatos nec eu, vis detraxit periculis ex, nihil expetendis in mei. Mei an pericula euripidis, hinc partem. [vc_empty_space height="10px"]
[vc_empty_space height="20px"]

Texas County

Texas County

During 2026, the City of Houston Economic Development Department led a six-month community planning process to strengthen the early childhood system across Texas County. Working alongside community leaders, employers, municipalities, Head Start, child care providers, and families, the team assessed the county’s child care landscape, examined the true cost of building a high-quality early childhood system, and gathered extensive community input through focus groups and data analysis.

Together, these partners identified the community’s greatest child care challenges, established shared priorities, and developed a comprehensive, data-driven Early Childhood Education Action Plan to guide future investments and implementation. The qualitative and quantitative findings that follow represent the foundation of this community-led effort.

With a clear roadmap in place, Texas County is ready to move from planning to implementation. Now the real work begins.Community partners will transform research into action through collaborative, evidence-based strategies that strengthen opportunities for children, families, businesses, and the county’s future.

Follow the community’s progress and explore ongoing implementation efforts below.

Key Findings

The number of children who need care is higher than the number of available slots. More than 400 additional infant and toddler slots, and more than 175 additional preschool slots, are needed.

On average, families are paying 29% or more of their income to cover the cost of care.

Current, unaffordable annual tuitions are not enough to cover the true cost of high-quality care.

Community Priorities

  • Increase access to high-quality affordable care for children aged 0-5 years that meets the needs of local families - particulary infant and toddler care
  • Support & strengthen child care providers’ operations to enhance sustainability and engage new providers in the system
  • Explore public-private partnerships to strengthen the child care system

The Research

Child Care Is A Workforce Issue

Employer focus groups provided insight into how child care challenges affect local businesses, employees, and the workforce.

•

Child care disruptions are an ongoing workforce challenge. Absenteeism, caregiver gaps, and the high cost of care make it harder for employees—and employers—to maintain a reliable workforce.

•

Employers are ready to act, but need a clear path forward. They want practical, community-designed solutions with trusted local partners at the table.

“Honestly, I think employers would be willing to participate in just about anything, because it’s so hard to keep employees around here.”

– Employer

Quotes are drawn from a convenience sample of Texas County residents, early childhood education directors/owners, and senior leaders of Texas County-based employers. This sample is not intended to be representative of the broader population.

Families Lack Access to Child Care

The number of infants and toddlers who need care is higher than the number of available slots, with 431 kids who do not have a slot. Pre-K capacity is sufficient for the needs of the community, but 179 additional slots are needed for preschoolers ages 3-5. This data is based on 70% of the estimated total number of children in the area, aligned with policy research estimates used by the State of Missouri.

“The high cost of childcare forced us to decide how to feed my family or what bill could be late to cover childcare cost. Essentially working just to cover cost of daycare.”

-Texas County Parent

Infant & Toddler (Birth-2 Years)

20%

Kids Served

541 Kids
110 Slots

Pre-Kindergarten (4-5 Years)

100%

Kids Served

192 Kids
274 Slots

Other Preschool (3-5 Years)

69%

Kids Served

571 Kids
392 Slots

THE COST OF CHILD CARE IS UNAFFORDABLE FOR FAMILIES​

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), child care is considered affordable if it costs families no more than 7% of their income. With median household income of $50,036, local families are paying 29% or more of their income to cover the cost of care for one child.

% income parents pay for Infant & Toddler Care

30%

% income parents pay for Preschool

29%

* 7% affordability threshhold

Median Household Income (MHI)

$50,036

Infant & Toddler parent tuition

$15,210

Preschool parent tuition

$14,409

Affordable Cost Level ( 7% MHI )

$3,503

More Resources ARE NEEDED to Provide Affordable High-Quality Care

In addition to being unaffordable to families, the annual cost of tuition does not cover the true cost of high-quality care for providers. Additional funds from other stakeholders are needed to support high-quality care.

Total Cost: $23,411

Infant & Toddler

$3,503

$19,908

Total Cost: $14,109

Preschool

$3,503

$10,606

Investment Gap
Affordable Cost for Parents

“We need more care for children under three years of age. More opportunities, more places for families to choose from.”

– Provider in Texas County

See the full research results here

Reach out

To find out more about the early childhood work in Texas County, and to hear more about the leaders, organizations, and advocates involved, contact the City of Houston.

Travis Witzemann, Director of Economic Development
City of Houston, Mo
twitzemann@houstonmo.org

Community planning, research, and facilitation by Child Care Leadership Lab; in addition to supply building initiative co-design and implementation with community partners. Data compiled and presented by IFF in partnership with Kids Win Missouri. Thank you to our partner City of Houston. We also thank Children’s Trust Fund, Upward Momentum, and the City of Houston for their generous support.

Learn more at mochampionofchildren.com

Missouri Champion of Children
© 2017 All rights reserved