Title: Relating to the eligibility of certain children who are or were in foster care for free prekindergarten programs in public schools
First Introduced: 12/03/2020
Status: Stage 1: House filed, not yet out of House committee
HB 725 would make Texas children who were in foster care in other states be eligible for public school Pre-K. Under state law, Texas school districts are required to offer voluntary, full-day Pre-K to four-year-olds who meet the state’s Pre-K eligibility requirements. Students are eligible for Pre-K if they qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, are designated as English Learners, have ever been in Texas foster care, or have a parent who is on active duty with the military or was killed or injured on active duty. This is important because research from Texas shows that quality Pre-K programs help students start kindergarten with the skills they need to succeed, and boost early literacy and academic achievement. As HB 725 includes children who were in foster care in another state, this would be a small but important step towards inclusivity and access.