Why This Matters to Houston’s Business and Civic Leaders

A child’s earliest years shape every milestone that follows: school success, workforce readiness, and economic opportunity. When children start kindergarten already behind, most never catch up, resulting in a smaller, less prepared labor pool for Houston’s future economy. With only half of Houston’s children entering kindergarten fully prepared, the gap widens quickly: just onethird are reading at grade level by third grade, and only one in four ultimately earns a two-or-four-year degree or workforce certificate.