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Guest columnist, Austin American-Statesman
| Hearst – Austin Transition
Good decisions start with good data, especially when it comes to the future of our children.
That’s why the newly released 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book should be required reading for every policymaker and community leader in Texas. For 36 years, the KIDS COUNT Data Book has used federal data from all 50 states to offer a clear overview of children’s well-being. It clearly shows us where Texas is making progress for children and where it is still falling short.
Let’s start with the good news. Over the past decade, Texas has made important strides in reducing child poverty. In 2011, more than 1.8 million children lived in poverty – 27%, or more than 1 in 4 kids. Today, while Texas’ population of children has grown, the number of them living in poverty has fallen to 1.37 million, about 18% of all kids. While we still have a long way to go in ensuring that all children in Texas are properly fed, housed, clothed and educated, the numbers are heading in the right direction, which is worth acknowledging.
This progress reflects the resilience of Texas families and the impact of smart policy choices, including investments made during and after the pandemic to stabilize families through expanded tax credits, nutrition assistance and health care access.
But progress is not victory. According to the KIDS COUNT data, Texas ranks 44th out of 50 states in overall child well-being, positioning us as one of the worst states for children in the nation. Nearly 1 in 5 Texas children live below the poverty line, despite our economic growth and prosperity. It is a profound injustice and a missed opportunity.
Poverty affects every aspect of a child’s life, including access to healthy food and stable housing, participation in early education and extracurricular activities, and health and academic outcomes. When nearly 1.4 million children grow up in poverty, it is not just their problem. This missed opportunity becomes a challenge for all of us, and it undoubtedly becomes a challenge for our state’s economy as well.
This is especially true in a state like Texas, where geography, race and policy continue to shape opportunities unevenly. Rural communities, children of color and families with low incomes face persistent barriers that make it harder to escape hardship.
So, where do we go from here?
We already know what works. Policies that increase household incomes, stabilize housing, ensure access to health care and education and support parents in the workforce all help reduce child poverty and promote opportunity. However, these solutions require sustained commitment and political will.
As the Texas legislative session draws to a close, this is the right moment to take stock. We must consider which proposals advanced, which fell short, and most importantly, what unfinished business remains for Texas kids. Progress for children does not happen by chance. It happens when decision-makers choose to make children and families a priority, year after year.
Looking ahead, Texas faces a critical choice. We can allow the momentum of recent gains to slow, or we can renew our efforts to make Texas a place where every child has the opportunity to thrive.
Achieving this vision will take bold leadership and a sharper focus on what kids need most. They need stable homes, strong schools, healthy environments and supportive communities. It will also require listening closely to families, who understand better than anyone what it takes to raise healthy, successful children in today’s Texas.
The path forward is clear. The data shows what is working and where significant gaps remain. What comes next depends on our will to build on recent progress and ensure that every Texas child has a fair and full chance to succeed.
Coda Rayo-Garza is the senior director of research and data at Every Texan, Texas’ representative organization of the Kids Count network.
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