Children’s Emergency Relief International celebrated the grand opening of its new global headquarters in Austin and the launch of GenATX with Mayor Kirk Watson and Austin officials Oct. 15.

The local impact

Watson announced a new program called GenATX, which aims to make Austin “the best place in America to be a kid.” GenATX, in collaboration with United Way for Greater Austin, will use funding to improve coordination across public systems, elevate youth leadership and design a comprehensive child-centered well-being framework.

The initiative is centered around three pillars:

• Healthy kids
• Safe kids
• Happy and successful kids

The initiative received $200,000 of funding from a number of organizations, including $100,000 from FirstDay Foundation in honor of CERI, a company that provides aid to children in Moldova, Sri Lanka, India, South Africa and Guatemala.Organizations that offered funding support include:

• FirstDay Foundation
• H-E-B
• Wells Fargo Foundation
• Texas Mutual

Put in perspective

CERI is an international aid organization based on the belief that every child has the right to a loving family and deserves the chance to experience the joy of childhood.

Watson spoke at the grand-opening event to welcome CERI to Austin and announce the GenATX program.

“It’s meaningful that we’re here in this new space, announcing CERI’s headquarters in Austin, Texas,” Watson said. “Because what it ... demonstrates is the kind of commitment about ensuring children [have] the ability to thrive and to achieve their potential that we need and we want in Austin, Texas.”

GenATX coordinators will present the results of the first phase of the program at a citywide summit in 2026 with the Austin Kid Scorecard, which will track children’s health and safety across the city and identify gaps in services. For more information about GenATX, visit www.austintexas.gov.