Early Matters San Antonio

08/19/2026

🌟We extended the deadline! 🎉

📣 We invite employers to complete a brief survey for us to better understand how childcare challenges affect workforce recruitment, retention, scheduling, and productivity.

•Approximate time: 10 minutes

•One response per organization

•Responses are confidential and reported only in aggregate

👉Click here to take the survey!

https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/5d23e1a75c6e49848d801ba2dfd5c0c0

Survey deadline: 08/21/2026

Survey conducted by Early Matters Texas and TPMA in the San Antonio area.

08/14/2026

📚 What if everyday spaces where families already spend time could also become places for early learning?

At our latest Family Engagement Workgroup meeting, partners heard from Liz McChesney of LaundryCares and Nikki Ferrera of Too Small to Fail about how laundromats can become welcoming spaces where families read, play, learn, and connect with community resources.

👏A sincere thank you to Liz and Nikki for sharing their work with our group, giving us a look inside a LaundryCares event, and making space for all of our questions as we explored what this model could look like in Bexar County.

The conversation built directly on our Place-Based Subgroup’s work using EDI data and community knowledge to explore where strategies like these could have the greatest impact.

Partners also continued advancing work around stronger family referrals and the countywide Talking is Teaching campaign — all toward one shared goal: making it easier for families to connect with early learning opportunities wherever they are.

👏 Thank you to the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce for hosting us at SWBC !

LaundryCares Foundation Too Small to Fail

08/12/2026

Early Matters Texas and TPMA are conducting a survey of employers in the San Antonio area to better understand how childcare challenges affect workforce recruitment, retention, scheduling, and productivity.

🌟We invite employers to complete a brief survey and share their experiences, perspectives, and priorities for potential childcare solutions.

•Approximate time: 10 minutes
•One response per organization
•Responses are confidential and reported only in aggregate

👉Click here to take the survey!
https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/5d23e1a75c6e49848d801ba2dfd5c0c0

Please repost. Survey deadline: 08/14/2026

08/07/2026

🩵 When we invest in child care providers, we strengthen the entire community.

Through the Early Matters San Antonio Military Child Care Access Project, participating providers receive hands-on support to become approved Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) providers.

👉 They also receive resources to expand their services, including offering care during nontraditional hours that better meet the needs of military families.

🫶 By supporting providers, we're creating more opportunities for children to learn, families to thrive, and employers to retain a strong workforce.

We thank the USAA Foundation, The Operation Child Care Project, participating child care providers, and all of the partners working together to make this important effort possible.

Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/ewrV37-2

08/06/2026

🌞Come in from the heat! Join us for our First Friday Breakfast at Cappy’s restaurant this Friday, August 7th at 8AM. 🌞

😎This free event gathers San Antonio's business leaders, organizations, and government representatives to discuss pressing issues in early childhood including costs, access, and quality.

We look forward to seeing you there! (link in comments)

🔅RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/eUHPg-sb

08/05/2026

Military families don't always work a 9-to-5 schedule. Their child care options shouldn't have to either.

Through the Early Matters San Antonio Military Child Care Access Project, Bexar County participating childcare providers can accept Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) scholarships.

That means military families can use their childcare benefits with more high-quality community providers—not just those located on military installations.

Early Matters San Antonio is grateful to the USAA Foundation, The Operation Child Care Project, participating child care providers, and all of the partners working together to make this important effort possible.

Together, we are creating a stronger early childhood system that better serves the children and families who serve all of us.

Learn more here: https://earlymatterssa.org/expanding-access-to-childcare-for-military-families/

Explore how programs like OCCP expand access to childcare for military families. Learn about the partnership with Early Matters.

08/04/2026

A goal this big only works when a whole city owns it.

👉 Kindergarten readiness shapes everything that follows — reading on grade level, graduating, earning a living wage.

🎯 That’s why we set an ambitious target and are bringing our community together to make it a reality.

➡️ Explore our Impact Plan to learn how we’ll get there.
https://lnkd.in/g3VZrnbH

07/31/2026

🎖️ Military families face a child care landscape that looks different from most — and this month's Access to Quality Workgroup dug into exactly why and how our community can strengthen access to high-quality care for military-connected families.

Andrea Nicholas, Community Child Care Coordinator at Joint Base San Antonio , gave partners a look inside the Department of Defense child care system, Family Child Care homes, and the real challenges military families navigate to find care.

The Operation Child Care Project shared updates from our Military Family Child Care Project partnership, highlighting efforts to help local providers expand access to military child care benefits and better support families with nontraditional schedules.

Coming out of the meeting, workgroup members reflected on the progress underway and identified several opportunities ahead, including growing Family Child Care capacity, strengthening the early childhood workforce, improving how families navigate the system, and expanding care during nontraditional hours.

👏Thank you to Andrea Nicholas of JBSA, Kayla Corbitt and Sabrina Dalton of Operation Child Care Project, and every Access to Quality partner who brought expertise and commitment to the table.

👏And thank you to United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County for hosting and creating space for collaboration! Bexar County's early learning system gets stronger every time partners like this show up.

07/30/2026

Last week, Early Matters San Antonio and the San Antonio Chapter of TXAEYC hosted "Preparing Your Learning Environment," an ECE Networking Event focused on creating engaging, supportive, and inclusive spaces where young children can thrive. 💛

The evening brought together early childhood professionals from across our community to connect, exchange ideas, and learn from one another.

Through meaningful conversations and shared experiences, educators explored how thoughtfully designed learning environments can support every child's growth, curiosity, and success.

👏🏼A special thank you to our incredible panelists for sharing their expertise and insights:

⭐️ Kiyana Wonokay, JCC Block and Dreeben School for Young Children
⭐️ Christopher DeLeon, University Presbyterian Children's Center
⭐️ Melanie Valdez, University Presbyterian Children's Center

We are also grateful to the organizations and businesses that donated raffle items and helped make the evening so special:

💫 YMCA
💫 Lakeshore Learning
💫 Little Italy
💫 Buff City Soap
💫 Alamo Cafe

💛Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped strengthen our growing early childhood community. And a special thank you to Alamo Cafe for hosting us.

We look forward to continuing to create opportunities for early childhood professionals to connect, learn, and support one another throughout the year. ✨

The San Antonio Chapter of TX Association of Education for Young Children The J San Antonio
Nature Explore YMCA of Greater San Antonio Lakeshore Learning Little Italy Restaurant & Pizzeria Buff City Soap Alamo Cafe