The State of Early Childhood in San Antonio: A Look at the Numbers Behind the System

(View full presentation here.)

Early Matters San Antonio recently shared an illuminating look at the scope and scale of early childhood education in our community—and the numbers tell a powerful story.

In Bexar County, there are more than 132,000 children under the age of five, yet only about 61,000 have access to formal care. That means roughly 71,000 young children—more than half of our early learners—are not in licensed programs, either by choice or because seats simply aren’t available.

The presentation breaks down where children are being served and how programs are funded. Public Pre-K leads with about 19,000 children, followed by Child Care Services (CCS), Head Start, Pre-K 4 SA, and Early Head Start. Together, these five programs reach 41,000 children and represent a combined $370 million in public investment each year.

But even with this significant public support, families continue to shoulder the largest share of the cost. With an average annual price tag of around $10,000 per child, San Antonio families are paying a collective $204 million out of pocket to care for their young children. When combined, public and private spending total nearly $575 million annually—a figure comparable to the budget of a large school district or a major corporate investment in our local economy.

This presentation marks Phase 1 of a two-part study. The next phase will dig deeper, adding data on military childcare, philanthropy, and other community funders. One early preview: United Way alone contributes about $4 million each year to early childhood initiatives through its Ready Children and Strong Individuals & Families programs.

By mapping the full landscape of early learning in San Antonio, Early Matters and its partners are helping the community see the true size and importance of this sector—and why continued collaboration and investment are essential to building a stronger start for every child.

See the full data, visuals, and next steps for Phase 2: