The well-being of Texas children is essential to the future of our state. Recent years have presented significant challenges for Texas' youngest residents, particularly in areas of economic stability, health, and education. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Texas declined from 43rd to 45th in national rankings for overall child…

Previous literature documents a strong relationship between food insecurity and mental health, and also examines the impact of safety net programs on food insecurity. However, little is known about the intersection between mental health, safety net participation, and food insecurity. In this research, we use a multi-program safety net calculator…

This report describes the degree and nature of hardship among low-income and poor working and nonworking families in a nationally representative sample of kindergartners--the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (Kindergarten Cohort). Five hardship indicators were examined: (1) lack of child health insurance; (2) child has not seen doctor at least…