All children — regardless of race, class, gender, or national origin — deserve to fulfill their potential and have the opportunity to thrive. Over the last several years, Texas children and youth have faced serious challenges and disruptions to their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Children of color, in particular, were disproportionately impacted by the disease itself and by the economic crisis that ensued. To be clear, the economic impacts exacerbated existing inequities in our systems across racial and ethnic lines. 

According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Texas went from 43rd to 45th in overall child well-being (based on measures of economic well-being, education, health, and family and community) between 2018 and 2022. We have worsening conditions for Texas children and youth. Our children are growing into the leaders of tomorrow. It is therefore our responsibility to ensure that we provide opportunities for all kids equitably. 

Texas can be a state where all children can thrive. Our report and data maps provide a deeper understanding of child well-being in Texas and identify opportunities to invest in Texas children. 

This report was authored by the Every Texan Research and Data Team: Coda Rayo-Garza, director of research and data, Kaitlan Wong, research and data analyst, and Sarah Imran, research and data intern, as a part of Texas Kids Count, a project of Every Texan. 

This research was funded by Methodist Health Ministries of South Texas, Inc. and The Annie E. Casey Foundation. We thank them for their support but acknowledge that the findings and conclusions presented in this report are those of Every Texan alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of these funding organizations.