CHILD CARE

Federal pandemic relief to hard-hit day care operators is drying up, forcing some providers to close.

Now that Texas has a near-total ban on abortion, lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are trying to make sure colleges are serving students who are pregnant or have children.

The bill, which Democrats have been pushing for years, has become a top priority after the overturn of Roe v. Wade. The Senate has already passed the bill, which would provide tax relief on the purchase of menstrual products, diapers and other child care necessities.

Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic upset the fragile child care industry, about a third of the state’s child care providers remain closed.

Judge Lina Hidalgo will join Commissioner Garcia and community leaders Monday to unveil a proposed pilot program that aims to increase accessibility to high-quality childcare and early childhood development in Harris County.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is urging child care providers across the county to take advantage of millions in federal COVID-19 relief funds before time runs out. Hidalgo is holding the discussion after visiting a child care facility Tuesday afternoon.

Although child care providers have mostly reopened, 8% have closed permanently since the start of the pandemic — and 57% of Texas counties still qualify as child care deserts.

Judge Lina Hidalgo and Commissioner Adrian Garcia held a press conference Tuesday morning to discuss a new proposal to invest $7.9 million in American Rescue Plan funds for early childhood programs.

The federal judge overseeing the decadelong lawsuit against Texas for conditions in its foster care system cut this week’s hearing short. She proposed all parties involved, including the governor, “cut to the chase” to identify solutions.

With COVID-19 making paid parental leave even more critical, the Dallas Democrat is helping lead the move to change federal policy for fathers as well as mothers.

A federal attorney claims an order from Gov. Greg Abbott violates the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and said legal action could follow if the state carries through with plans to pull licenses from the federally contracted facilities.