The Task Force, whose members were announced this morning at an elementary school in Schertz, Texas, is charged with examining how Texas can better align early childhood education and care programs across state agencies, reduce inefficiencies, and ensure public investments translate into measurable outcomes for children, families, and the workforce.
The Task Force will be chaired by Peter John Holt, General Manager and CEO of HOLT Group and Chairman of Spurs Sports & Entertainment. Holt brings extensive business and civic leadership to the role, including his work as founder and co-chair of Early Matters San Antonio. Early Matters is a statewide network of regional coalitions working to strengthen early childhood education and care systems so that children enter school ready to learn and parents can fully participate in the workforce. With regional partnerships across Texas, Early Matters advances data-driven policy solutions, employer engagement, and cross-sector collaboration to improve outcomes for children and families.
“Texas has made important investments in early childhood, but our system remains fragmented and difficult for families and providers to navigate. This Task Force is a critical opportunity to better align state agencies, strengthen government accountability, and ensure that our investments are truly delivering results for children and working families. I’m honored to serve as Chair and work alongside leaders across government and the business community committed to building a stronger, more coordinated early childhood system for Texas.”
Governor Abbott has taken bold legislative action to elevate high-quality early childhood education as a strategic priority for Texas, recognizing its return on investment for both education and the economy: When families have access to reliable, affordable early learning options, parents are better able to remain in and advance within the workforce, supporting economic growth across Texas, the eighth-largest economy in the world. At the same time, children who participate in early learning are more likely to enter kindergarten ready to learn and stay on track academically in early grades.
Despite significant state investment, Texas’ early childhood education and care programs are currently administered across multiple agencies, creating a fragmented system that can be difficult for families to navigate and challenging for providers to sustain. Programs often operate under different eligibility requirements, funding streams, and accountability structures, which limits coordination and reduces overall system efficiency. HB 117 establishes a clear pathway to examine governance, coordination, and accountability across agencies to ensure taxpayer dollars are used efficiently and effectively.
As part of its charge, the Task Force will assess:
· current structures across the Texas Education Agency, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, and Texas Workforce Commission;
· align goals and metrics; and
· develop actionable recommendations to increase childcare capacity, strengthen kindergarten readiness, and improve outcomes statewide.
This work is particularly timely, as several agencies involved in early childhood education and care are scheduled for review through the Texas Sunset process during the current legislative cycle, providing an opportunity to align policy recommendations with broader state oversight efforts.
Ensuring children start school ready to succeed while enabling parents to fully participate in the workforce is critical to Texas’ long-term economic competitiveness and continued growth. By examining how early childhood education and care systems can work more effectively together, the Governor’s Task Force represents a meaningful step toward building a more coherent, accountable, and outcomes driven early childhood education and care system that better serves Texas families, employers, and communities.
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