Explore data that illustrates how our community is advancing access, quality, and equity in early childhood education. Each chart reflects collaborative goals and real-time progress toward building a stronger early learning system for children, families, and educators.
Our Headline Goal: Kindergarten Readiness
Our goal is that 70% of all Bexar County children are kinder-ready by 2030.
Kindergarten readiness is one of the strongest predictors of long-term success—more than any demographic factor. Children who start kinder-ready are over four times more likely to meet third-grade reading benchmarks. Yet only half of Bexar County children meet that mark. With the right investments, we can change that.
PERCENTAGE OF SCHOLARSHIP-ELIGIBLE PROVIDERS THAT ARE HIGH QUALITY
The chart shows progress and goals for increasing the percentage of scholarship-eligible providers meeting high-quality standards from 2023 to 2027. Starting at 39% in 2023, the community has made substantial gains, reaching 83% by the end of 2025—surpassing both the 2025 goal of 60% and the 2026 goal of 75%. Future targets aim for 85% in 2027. The yellow line represents actual results achieved so far, while the blue dashed line indicates the annual goals, highlighting the community’s strong progress toward expanding access to high-quality care.
PERCENTAGE OF SCHOLARSHIP-ELIGIBLE CAPACITY THAT IS HIGH QUALITY
The chart shows progress and goals for increasing the percentage of scholarship-eligible child care capacity meeting high-quality standards from 2023 to 2027. Starting at 52% in 2023, the community has made substantial gains, reaching 88% by the end of 2025. This exceeds the 2025 goal of 60%, the 2026 goal of 75%, and even surpasses the 2027 target of 85%. The yellow line represents actual results achieved so far, while the blue dashed line indicates the annual goals, highlighting the community’s strong progress toward expanding access to high-quality care.
ZIP CODES QUALIFYING AS CHILD CARE DESERTS
The chart illustrates the progress and goals for reducing the number of ZIP codes qualifying as child care deserts from 2020 through 2027. In 2020, 18 ZIP codes were identified as child care deserts, establishing the baseline measurement. By the end of 2025, data showed 24 ZIP codes still met this definition, and end-of-year 2026 data show a slight improvement to 23 child care deserts. These figures reflect the continued complexity of balancing the supply and demand for child care across a rapidly changing landscape.
The blue dashed line represents the community goals established through the shared impact planning process, which envisioned a significant reduction in child care deserts over time—including long-term aspirations toward eliminating deserts entirely. The yellow line reflects the actual annual results measured each year. Together, the chart highlights both the community’s ambition and the ongoing need for sustained investment, collaboration, and innovative strategies to expand access to quality early childhood programs across Bexar County.
NUMBER OF EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONALS WITH AN ACTIVE TECPDS ACCOUNT
NUMBER OF EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONALS WITH CDAs+ AND AN ACTIVE TECPDS ACCOUNT
The chart shows progress and goals for increasing the number of early childhood professionals holding CDA+ (Child Development Associate or higher) credentials with active TECPDS (Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System) accounts from 2024 to 2027. In 2024, 305 professionals held CDA+ credentials, exceeding the initial goal of 200 and establishing a strong foundation for advanced credentialing. By the end of 2025, 242 professionals held CDA+ credentials, falling below the 2025 target of 400. It is important to note that TECPDS recently completed a large-scale system deduplication. While this may result in lower reported numbers, it reflects a more accurate and reliable dataset, providing a clearer understanding of the true cohort and allowing progress to be tracked with greater confidence. Future targets aim for 450 credentialed professionals by 2026 and 500 by 2027. The yellow line represents actual results achieved so far, while the blue dashed line indicates the annual goals, highlighting the community’s dedication to elevating professional standards in early childhood education.
An active account is defined as a professional registered in the TECPDS system with at least one login within the past six months.
An active account is defined as a center registered in the TECPDS system with at least one login within the past six months.
PERCENTAGE OF CENTERS WITH AN ACTIVE TECPDS ACCOUNT
The chart shows progress and goals for increasing the percentage of early childhood centers with active TECPDS (Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System) accounts from 2024 to 2027. In 2024, 35% of centers maintained active accounts, slightly below the goal of 36%. By the end of 2025, 47% of centers had active accounts, surpassing the 2025 target of 45%. It is important to note that TECPDS recently completed a large-scale system deduplication. While this may result in lower reported numbers, it reflects a more accurate and reliable dataset, providing a clearer understanding of the true cohort and allowing progress to be tracked with greater confidence. Future targets aim for 50% by 2026 and 60% by 2027. The yellow line represents actual results achieved so far, while the blue dashed line indicates the annual goals, highlighting the community’s commitment to strengthening engagement and expanding participation in the professional development system.
Early childhood professionals median wage as a percentage of Bexar County Living Wage
The chart illustrates the progress and goals for improving early childhood professional wages relative to the Bexar County living wage from 2022 through 2027. In 2022, the median wage for early childhood professionals was 65% of the living wage, representing the baseline measurement. By 2024, data showed improvement to 72%, signaling meaningful progress toward the community’s long-term goals. However, 2025 results indicate wages remained relatively steady at 71%, reflecting the ongoing challenges facing the early childhood workforce and broader economic pressures impacting the sector.
The blue dashed line represents the community goals established through the shared impact planning process, which envisioned continued advancement toward wage parity—including targets of 75% by 2025, 85% by 2026, and 100% parity with the living wage by 2027. The yellow line reflects the actual annual results measured each year. Together, the chart highlights both the community’s aspirations and the continued need for sustained investment and systemic strategies to support compensation for early childhood educators.
Source: MIT Living Wage
