Parents with pre-K students are eligible to receive funds in the new education savings account program, marking an expansion of publicly funded early education.

Inside the Ready, Set, Jump Early Learning Center, owner Felicia Davis can see a remarkable shift — not only in her teachers, but in the children they serve. “If you have the teacher feeling good, being able to come to work worry-free and be able to just solely focus on the children, it helps the child in the long run,” Davis said. Now, Texas lawmakers are looking to expand a pilot program’s reach.

Felicia Davis knew exactly why she kept losing staff at her child care center. Davis, the owner of Ready Set Jump Learning Center in east Fort Worth, just could not offer a salary high enough to keep employees. A grant from a Child Care Associates pilot program changed the trend. She raised staff wages and maintained costs for her families.

North Texas lawmakers have introduced child care legislation that would expand an existing Tarrant County program, which provides higher wages to child care workers and lower tuition costs to families through grants.

As the Texas Legislature gears up for its 2025 session, an often overlooked aspect of education and economic development will soon come into focus: early childhood education.

Fort Worth ISD officials want pre-kindergarten students’ education to start earlier, last longer and fit families’ schedules without sacrificing quality.