Dear John,
There is a growing recognition that all children benefit from mental health supports and positive learning environments — including the young learners in Texas child care settings and elementary school grades, including pre-k.
These efforts can help all children develop strategies to manage frustration, anxiety, and conflict — and provide more robust services to children with greater needs.
Recognizing that student mental health support is key to improving academics, behavior, health, and safety, the 2019 Texas Legislature passed a number of new laws to strengthen these efforts.
Today we are releasing a new guide that briefly summarizes those new laws and outlines ways that school districts, state agencies, and communities can leverage them to support the mental health of our youngest students: those in child care, pre-k, and early elementary school grades.
