Research shows that only 29 percent of Texans under the age of 6 have had a developmental screening and that the majority (58 percent) of 3- and 4-year-olds in the state are not involved in early education, which improves school readiness and reduces the negative impacts of poverty.
Social work researchers at the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health are helping address this need through Texas LAUNCH, the state version of a nation-wide program. Researchers are collaborating with agencies in three communities — Fort Worth, San Antonio, and a small tribal community close to El Paso called Ysleta del Sur Pueblo — to screen young children early and implement best practices to improve their developmental, social and emotional health. Learn more at tiny.cc/texas-launch.