UTHealth Houston awarded $3.5M to support early childhood educators
April Crawford, PhD, professor and co-director of the Children’s Learning Institute (Photo by UTHealth Houston)
The Children’s Learning Institute at UTHealth Houston has been awarded $3.5 million by the Texas Workforce Commission to help provide support to early childhood educators.
The grant will provide scholarships and workforce support to early childhood educators in all 28 Texas workforce development areas, helping them earn professional credentials, associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, and registered apprenticeship credentials while reducing barriers to educational advancement.
The team, led by April Crawford, PhD, professor and co-director of the Children’s Learning Institute, will leverage the Early Childhood Professional Development Scholarships program to launch the statewide Texas Early Childhood Scholarships program that will help nearly 1,500 early childhood educators.
Funding will provide tuition assistance specifically for educators working in childcare centers and home-based childcare to help reach higher levels of education.
According to the Texas Early Childhood Education Workforce Report from 2024-25, more than half of its 120,000 early childhood educators reported having earned less than an associate’s degree, and two-thirds had earned less than a bachelor’s degree. Through this grant, higher forms of education and training will become more accessible and provide opportunities for the workforce to expand further.
“Greater access to professional learning strengthens the early childhood workforce and helps ensure that young children benefit from high-quality learning experiences during their most critical years of development,” said Crawford, who holds the Meg and Dick Weekley Distinguished Chair in Childhood Reading and Learning and the Michael Matthew Knight Memorial Professorship in Pediatrics.
As the designated State Center for Early Childhood Development, the Children’s Learning Institute at UTHealth Houston manages the Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System, which helps to meet professional development needs via its workforce registry.
“Integrating these scholarships into the platform’s career development resources creates a more seamless pathway for professional learning and advancement, connecting educators with more opportunities to accelerate career progression,” Crawford said.
The 18-month program will be rolled out in phases starting in September through December 2027. Find more information on how to apply for scholarships by visiting their Texas Early Childhood Scholarships site.
Stevens Amendment Disclosure: The Early Childhood Professional Development Scholarships (ECPDS) program is supported by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial award totaling $3.5 million, with 100% funded by ACF/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official view of, nor an endorsement by ACF/HHS or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit the ACF website’s Administrative and National Policy Requirements page.
Scholarships awarded by Children’s Learning Institute at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) are made possible by, and in accordance with, a grant award from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) under the ECPDS program.
