Supporting the Building Blocks Luncheon is a direct investment in children, families, and the future of Houston.
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Champion young futures with a contribution of any size.
Our 2026 Building Blocks Luncheon, “Hope Takes Root,” held September 24 at River Oaks Country Club brought together business leaders, educators, elected officials, and community supporters to expand access to high-quality early childhood education across Greater Houston.
Too many children in Greater Houston are starting behind:
These aren’t just education challenges, they shape the future of our workforce, our economy, and our region.
Championing young futures means facing these realities and choosing to change them.
Collaborative for Children works at the earliest and most critical stage of development, birth to age five, when the foundation for lifelong success is built.
Through our 125 Centers of Excellence, we support children, educators, and families with proven, high-quality early learning programs.
The results are measurable:
This is what it looks like to champion young futures with intention, consistency, and impact.
The luncheon honored Enbridge for its commitment to building stronger communities through long-term investment and leadership. Guests also learned how Collaborative for Children strengthens early learning through instructional support, family engagement, and business development for child care providers.
Aligned with our 2026–2028 Strategic Plan, Collaborative for Children is expanding access to high-quality early education, strengthening partnerships, and building a more connected system of care across Greater Houston.
But progress at this scale requires partnership.
It requires people willing to step forward, not later, but now to champion the next generation.
Every child deserves the opportunity to start strong regardless of zip code.
When you support the Building Blocks Luncheon, you help expand access to high-quality early education, strengthen families, and build a more prepared, resilient workforce for the future.
Because when we champion young futures today, we shape the strength of Houston for generations to come.
Collaborative for Children is working with Houston ISD to address this need by giving eligible 3- and 4-year-olds access to free, high-quality pre-K within trusted community child care centers. Children receive developmentally appropriate instruction in literacy, math, social-emotional development, and other skills that build a strong foundation for kindergarten.
Participating child care centers maintain their identities and daily operations while receiving curriculum, instructional coaching, professional development, marketing support, and compliance assistance. The partnership also strengthens the connection between a child’s community-based pre-K experience and the transition to a Houston ISD elementary school.
The Elsie Samuels Early Childhood Educator Excellence Award honors a teacher in Greater Houston who works with children 0-5 years of age and demonstrates an exemplary commitment to educating a diverse population of young learners.
Collaborative for Children recognizes the absolute value educators bring to early childhood education. We believe that while children are the building blocks of the future, educators are the foundation upon which that future is built.
Resources for EducatorsAll parents dream of seeing their children grow and thrive, and the choices they make in the first five or six years of life play a major role in realizing those dreams. So we connect them with the care, resources, and services that ensure their child gets the early learning experience they need, the 21st century skills necessary for lifelong success, and the confidence to grab any opportunity that finds them.
LearnCollaborative for Children helps early learning child care centers become stronger, more sustainable organizations by pairing quality improvement, leadership development, and operational guidance, so centers can grow without losing sight of their mission.
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