Child Care

Nearly 50% of child care providers in Travis County are not sure if they’ll be able to keep their doors open after federal relief funds run out.

Thirty-two groups sent a letter to Texas lawmakers on Monday urging them to increase state funding for child care. The state has lost more than a fourth of its child care programs since 2020.

Just a few years ago, one tiny Texas school system decided to try a four-day school week. Now, nearly 50 districts use them. Officials hope the schedule attracts quality teachers and helps retain the rest, as many schools struggle to stay fully staffed. The schedule is still being tested in many schools; but in others, results are in.

The number of women in the workforce has finally returned to pre-pandemic levels, which is good for the economy. But after time away from the job market some women are reassessing their priorities.

With a state legislative session looming, the Texas Women’s Foundation has identified nearly two dozen policy changes that can help make the lives of women and girls better.

In Texas, where the hourly minimum wage is $7.25, a student who has children would need to work as much as 64 hours per week to afford college and child care expenses, according to a new report.

As parents scramble to find scarce baby formula and the government races to boost production and imports, some advocates say the U.S. should do more to encourage breastfeeding.

Gender-affirming treatment has been called into question after Texas leadership branded it "child abuse." One Austin family crossed state lines to get their son treated.

"We're sorry to every family we've let down," wrote CEO Robert Ford. The shuttered plant at the heart of the shortage will reopen in June, but it may take months before production is back to normal.

President Biden signed the Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021 on Monday, outlawing the manufacture and sale of crib bumpers and certain inclined infant sleepers.