Hosts Dr. Bob Sanborn and Dr. Erica Hattery explore the intersection of social media, youth mental health, and child care policy.

In this episode:

• Social Media Literacy: How do families, educators and policy makers combat social media addiction in K-12 students?
• Child Care Advocacy: How are advocates and organizers making child care more affordable in Austin-- Texas most expensive city for child care?
• Houston’s Child Care Deserts: Are Houston families facing a child care crisis?

Featured Guests:

• Jane Kim, Founder of KindEd
• Cathy McHorse, Early Childhood Consultant
• Santrice Jones, Director of Strong Start at CHILDREN AT RISK

Produced by CHILDREN AT RISK on 90.1 KPFT Houston. Support community radio at kpft.org.

This week, guest hosts Megan Menchaca and Elizabeth Sander, education reporters at the Houston Chronicle, dive deep into the controversial Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) voucher program. Going beyond the political headlines, they explore:

• The Data: Do voucher programs truly expand high-quality options for lower-income families?
• The Systemic Changes: How will this shift impact funding and enrollment in public schools?
• The Real Stories: How are families navigating their choice options to find the best fit for their children?

Special thanks to our guests, Dr. David DeMatthews, Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at UT Austin, Amanda Bigbee, Division Director of Policy Services at TASB, and Deanna Sheaffer, Director of Business Development at Families Empowered.

Resources:

Houston School Finder: The Houston Chronicle's custom tool for exploring and comparing public, private and charter schools in Houston.

Produced by: Owala Maima, Rico Henriquez, Briauna Derry

This episode of Growing Up in America tackles the urgent issues impacting Texas children, from the fallout of the federal government shutdown on immigration services to the shifting landscape of DEI and racial healing following the passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson. Dr. Bob Sanborn and Nely Sanchez host expert guests to discuss why 4,000 immigrant students have left HISD, the current satisfaction levels with K-12 education, and new findings from the "Paving the Way for Quality" child care report. Tune in for a deep dive into public policy, community advocacy, and the fight for the quality of life for every child.

Featuring Krystal Gomez, Managing Attorney at Texas Immigration Law Council, Cherry Steinwender, Executive Director at the Center for the Healing of Racism and Kim Kofron, Director of Early Childhood Education for CHILDREN AT RISK.

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Read the latest research at CHILDREN AT RISK.