The RAPID Harris County survey asked parents of young children about their experiences, in order to hear parents’ voices, and better understand how to serve families in our community. RAPID surveyed households with children ages 0 to 5, to gather essential information on the needs and well-being of children and their families.

UH IRWGS is conducting the Evaluation of Harris County’s Early REACH Contracted Slots Child Care Program (ER runs from 2023-2026; the evaluation began in June 2024). 

Early REACH was initiated as a pilot, and funded with federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, sufficient to cover the cost of 800-to-1,000 contracted slots in high-quality child care deserts from June 2023 through September 2026. The program aims to begin to address the national shortage of affordable child care by providing free, high-quality care for children whose families face economic hardship and/or live in areas of Harris County with a high Social Vulnerability Index.