2022 Texas Kids Count Data Book - Data Book

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum

2022 Texas Kids Count Data Book presents child health and well-being indicators across Texas, highlighting persistent barriers tied to poverty, race and ethnicity, gender identity, and family financial security. The report emphasizes that too many children lack safe communities and equitable opportunities, while state leaders are urged to close gaps through commonsense policy solutions. Recommendations focus on economic well-being, education, health, safe schools, and environment-related outcomes using targeted investments such as Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, TANF, and child care support.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages64

Reading Time2 h 41 min

AccessFree to download

Table of Contents & CEO Letter

Executive Summary

Education

Who Are Texas Kids?

Economic Well-Being

Education

Health

Safe Communities and Schools

Environment and Health

About Every Texan

Contacting Elected Officials/Note to Lawmakers

Acknowledgements

# 2022 TEXAS KIDS COUNT # Data Book 2022 Texas Kids Count Data Book # Table of Contents & CEO Letter Dear Friends, We are pleased to share with you our 2022 Texas Kids Count report.Given the challenges of the last several years, we felt compelled toexpand our indicators to include more measures of child health andwell-being, making this year’s report our most comprehensive and in-depth look at the overall status of Texas’s children and youth. Our growing state can – and must – offer children an equitableopportunity to experience a healthy, thriving childhood to prepare themto lead Texas into the future. Short-sighted public policies andinadequate investments in our children have created barriers keepingchildren from reaching their maximum potential. Texas continues torank in the bottom five states for overall child well-being, according tothe Annie E. Casey Kids Count national rankings. Data also shows that too many children in Texas continue to facebarriers to opportunity based on race and ethnicity, gender identity,and family financial security. Our children deserve to feel safe in theircommunities and schools, but barriers that persist due to inaction arestill getting in the way. Commonsense policy solutions and investments in the past havedemonstrated that state leaders can put all Texas children on a pathto better outcomes. We now have an opportunity to invest in positiveoutcomes forchildren by investing in programs that keep families outof poverty, such as Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program(CHIP), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), andmore. This report provides data across five different child health and well-being categories, along with policy recommendations for state leadersfrom across the state to consider if we want to close opportunity gapsand outcomes for Texas children. Together, we can work towards creating a state where our children willbe well-supported and able to prosper because their prosperity is thatof all of us. Warmly, Marisa Bono Marisa Bono Table of Contents 2 Executive Summary 9 Introduction 11 Contacting Elected Officials/Note to Lawmakers | 14 Who Are Texas Kids? | | --- | | 20 Economic Well-Being | | 33 Education | | 40 Health | | 47 Safe Communities and Schools | | 54 Environment and Health | | 62 About Every Texan | | 62 Acknowledgements | 1 2022 Texas Kids Count Data Book # Executive Summary |
ECONOMIC WELL-BEING | | --- | |
Key Findings:
In Texas, 20% of children live in poverty, and Black and Latino/Hispanic children have thehighest child poverty rates across racial and ethnic groups.1
The cost of raising a child takes up a large portion of a parent’s income. For example, a parentmaking the federal minimum wage spends over half of their income on full-day child care. 2
For every 100 families living in poverty in Texas, only four receive TANF cash assistance(compared to the national rate of 21 per 100) .3 | |
Policy Recommendations:
Implement policies to ensure sufficient wages and benefits for workers to meet their family’sneeds. When parents are paid a living wage, they are able to invest in themselves and theirchildren’s futures. Raising the statewide or local minimum wage and increasing access to paidsick leave can improve the economic security of all Texas families.
Invest in programs that help keep families out of poverty. Programs such as Medicaid, theChildren’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), theSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Temporary Assistance for NeedyFamilies (TANF) can lift families and children out of poverty. Policymakers should review andupdate the rules and regulations so programs are more accessible and equitable. For example,restrictions on owning cars and other assets to qualify for TANF should be eliminated, andunemployment insurance should be reformed so that benefit

FAQs

What challenges does the 2022 report say Texas children face?

The report states that many children encounter barriers to opportunity tied to poverty, race and ethnicity, gender identity, and family financial security, and that persistent inaction continues to limit safe, supportive outcomes.

Which main areas does the report cover?

It provides data across five child health and well-being categories: economic well-being, education, health, safe communities and schools, and environment and health, along with policy recommendations.

What policy solutions are emphasized for economic well-being?

The report recommends measures such as ensuring sufficient wages and benefits, investing in programs that reduce poverty (including Medicaid, CHIP, SSI, SNAP, and TANF), and expanding access to affordable child care so families can improve economic mobility.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum