The overview
Harris County’s Early Reach Education Access for Children pilot program was launched in June 2023 using 2021 American Rescue Plan Act funds, as previously reported by Community Impact. The program was designed to provide free, high-quality child care for families in high-need areas, addressing the challenges faced by both children and child care providers in the county.
About $29 million in ARPA funds have been used for the Early Reach program, according to the county's ARPA website. All ARPA funding must be spent by the end of 2026.
Childhood education centers involved in the Early Reach program were told from the beginning of the program that the ARPA funding was temporary and they would eventually need to pursue additional funding, Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia said.
“This is a glimpse into the end of ARPA money, and it is very sad indeed when you have people used to an Early Reach program, and you have to say, 'You know what, we can't do that anymore,'” Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey said Feb. 6. “So just buckle up. It's going to get worse.”
What are the options?
About 1,300 children across Harris County participated in the Early Reach program, and 85% of the participants have opted to transfer to a childhood center still in operation, Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones said Feb. 6.
Commissioners expressed hope that the federal or state government could fund this program in the future.
“I'm hopeful that this next [federal] administration will look to the success of this program thus far, and if you want a strong economy, if you want a safer community, if you want a community that doesn't rely on government, then I hope this administration will see its way to bring in resources to local communities to fund early childhood education,” Garcia said.
About the program
As previously reported by Community Impact, the Early Reach program:
- Offers education through child care centers meeting specific criteria, including those in child care deserts with high social need
- Provides centers with funding for operating expenses, staff wages, recruitment and programs
- Guarantees a minimum wage of $15 per hour for child care providers
In 2021, the U.S. Treasury allocated $915 million in Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to Harris County. Since then, funding has been distributed amongst five categories, with the largest amount going toward jobs and education.
ARPA was passed to provide relief to local governments and the economy in the wake of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
Melissa Enaje and Shaheryar Khan contributed to this report.
