Gov. Greg Abbott (R) visited Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD Tuesday, Jan. 20, alongside Rep. Alan Schoolcraft (R–Seguin) and Sen. Donna Campbell (R–New Braunfels) to announce the creation of a new Task Force on Early Childhood Education and Care.

The task force is a result of HB 117 by Schoolcraft. ATPE testified in support of the bill in committee in March 2025 and worked with Schoolcraft to ensure that two educators would be part of the task force. Two preschool educators were announced as members of the task force Tuesday.

The purpose of the task force, the governor said today, is to evaluate early childhood programs across all state agencies in order to improve the quality of the programs, make it easier for providers to operate, and lower the cost of services for families. Abbott also said the task force would study the efficiency of the programs and seek to root out waste, fraud, and abuse, citing recent scandals in Minnesota involving allegations of private pre-K providers fraudulently drawing down federal Head Start funding without providing the corresponding services as the reason for adding this to the task force’s agenda. He said the task force would work with the Texas Workforce Commission, the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, and the Texas Education Agency to develop its report.

“We must put an end to the endless bureaucracy, the unclear status of care, and the inflated costs that make it difficult for parents to get the early childhood care and education that they need for their children,” Abbott said in his statement Tuesday.

The task force is charged with submitting recommendations to the Legislature by the end of this year.

Read the press release.