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Author: Meg Costa

We’re Closing the Digital Divide to Improve Access to Education, Income and Health

Written by Meg Costa on . Posted in News & Updates.

In today’s fast-paced digital world, high-speed internet, digital skills and digital technology have become a necessity for accessing education, financial stability and health resources. Yet significant portions of North Texas lack access to the digital technology, infrastructure or skills needed to truly thrive.  

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, improving access to digital technology and skills is a priority as we work to improve access to education, income and health—the building blocks of opportunity. Every North Texas student, worker and family needs to be able to leverage the power and potential of digital technology to succeed in school, build a career and access modern health resources. 

That’s why we have partnered with AT&T, Texas Instruments Foundation, The Eugene McDermott Foundation, and the Richard and Mary Templeton Foundation to establish and grow Digital Bridges, which seeks to improve access to digital technology so more North Texans are equipped to succeed in school, find and keep good-paying jobs, and access the health resources they need to thrive. 

Keep reading to learn more about the technology challenges that plague our community, as well as how United Way and our partners are driving change through programs like Digital Bridges. 

Technology Access in North Texas 

The digital divide is the gap between those who have access to digital technology and skills and those who don’t. This divide has existed for decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the significant challenges that students, workers and families experience when they don’t have access to the technology or skills they need to succeed. 

This is a significant problem in our community. At the height of the pandemic, about a quarter of Dallas County households earning less than $50,000 didn’t own a computer, according to county officials. And according to the latest U.S. Census, 42% of Dallas households lacked fixed internet access, meaning Dallas had the worst household connection rate among major Texas cities and the sixth worst city in the country. 

Here are just a few examples of how technology limitations hold many of our neighbors back: 

  • Millions of students across the country cannot connect to online learning opportunities from home because they don’t have reliable internet access or a computer at home.  
  • Many North Texas workers lack digital literacy skills, which prevents them from accessing the resources that could enable them to advance in their careers and achieve financial stability. 
  • Many families in our community can’t afford broadband internet, which means they can’t take advantage of convenient digital health resources such as telehealth visits. 

Unfortunately, people in communities that have been historically underserved, which includes Southern Dallas, are most likely to lack digital technology and skills. As a result, these folks often fall behind at school, in their careers and in other areas of life. This stark digital divide also leads to gaps in outcomes in health and life expectancy. 

According to Bill Zielinski, the City of Dallas’ chief information officer, areas that lack internet access also tend to be “infrastructure deserts”—lower-income areas without access to services like public transportation, hospitals and food.  

Sadly, infrastructure deserts are all too common in North Texas. A 2022 SMU study identified 62 areas in Dallas alone, pointing to the need for organizations like United Way to work with partners to fill in the gaps.  

Improving Technology Access through Digital Bridges 

The idea for Digital Bridges, our partnership with AT&T, Texas Instruments Foundation, the McDermott Foundation, and the Templeton Foundation, was born during the height of COVID-19, when students across North Texas were expected to quickly pivot to remote learning. Unfortunately, many families didn’t have the technology necessary to support online learning, highlighting the stubborn digital divide that can hold students back, even during a typical school year. 

COVID revealed an opportunity to unite our community to improve technology access in North Texas. Through Digital Bridges, we distribute laptops to students and young adults across Southern Dallas to enable them to access education, further their learning and stay connected in the classroom and beyond. Through our partnership with Compudopt, the laptops come with two years of warranty and bilingual technical assistance to ensure families can make the most of the technology. Recently, we also began providing digital literacy classes through the program, with a goal of enrolling 1,000 individuals in these courses by 2025. 

Last year, United Way and our partners distributed nearly 1,700 laptops and provided digital literacy classes to 165 young Southern Dallas residents. Compudopt estimates that by distributing nearly 1,700 computers last year, the program had impacted more than 5,400 North Texans, since most laptops will be used by multiple people in a household. 

For folks like Deambra Green, whose five daughters received digital technology through Digital Bridges, the program can be transformative.  

“The laptops we received help complete missing assignments and get caught up,” she explained. “I’ve seen a drastic increase in their grades. The biggest victory is that my oldest daughter will graduate on time. She went from not caring about graduating to now wanting to attend community college.” 

Cathy Lee, director of education and career success at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, affirms that digital access touches every part of a family’s life.  

“So many jobs, programs and services have gone virtual in the four years since the pandemic, which means that digital access is critical for North Texas families,” she said. “These devices and opportunities for greater connectivity enable our students in Southern Dallas to continue their learning. The program also ensures families can access a broad range of other important supports, like accessing healthcare, applying for schools and jobs, booking telehealth appointments and more. This initiative is a great start, but we need to keep going to ensure that every family has the access they deserve to these critical resources.” 

You Can Improve Technology Access and Literacy in North Texas 

Together, we can improve access to digital technology and skills so that every North Texan can thrive. Here are three opportunities to be part of this important work: 

  • Give: Invest in United Way to support programs like Southern Dallas Thrives that benefit students and their families throughout North Texas. 
  • Advocate: Sign up for our Advocacy Alerts to receive information on our current policy priorities plus notifications on when and how to connect with your elected officials. 
volunteers serving food

Texas Leads the Nation in Food Insecurity

Written by Meg Costa on . Posted in News & Updates.

Summer is right around the corner, which means many North Texas children will lose access to free school meals. During the “hungriest season” of the year, in some communities an estimated 90% of kids are vulnerable to hunger—a statistic that is unacceptable in a region as prosperous as ours. 

This summer, North Texas families face a variety of stubborn challenges that are leading to an uptick in hunger. That’s why at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we’re sounding the alarm on childhood hunger. We recognize that access to nutritious food is a key part of health. Regular, healthy meals directly impact our focus areas of education, income and health, enabling children to learn and grow, succeed in school and go on to achieve a stable career. 

Read on to learn more about the factors contributing to childhood hunger in our region, the United Way initiatives that advocate for increases in food access and how you can be part of the change. 

Food Insecurity Is on the Rise in Texas 

In May 2024, Feeding America revealed that Texas has become the most food-insecure state in the country. Between 2020 and 2022, an average of 15.5% of households in our state reported lacking consistent access to healthy and affordable food. 

In North Texas, one in eight people, or 640,000 of our neighbors, face hunger. That figure includes one in five children. In fact, Dallas County has the fourth-highest rate of food-insecure children in the nation. 

Food insecurity and childhood hunger in particular are significant issues that prevent individuals and families from truly thriving. After all, a child who is distracted by hunger is less likely to succeed in school, workers without reliable access to food can’t be at their best, and anyone who frequently experiences food insecurity is more likely to see their physical and even mental health suffer.  

What’s behind the rise in food insecurity? Although a variety of factors come into play, the bottom line is that many families cannot afford regular, nutritious meals.  

The situation is due to a variety of challenges, including the following: 

  • Lower wages: Many North Texans don’t earn a living wage, including 74% of young adults. Dallas’ top four most common jobs have a median wage of less than $40,500. 
  • Growing expenses: Inflation drove the cost of food up by 11% from 2021 to 2022, and while the rate of inflation has leveled off, the price of many goods has remained high. 
  • Housing costs. Rent costs have increased 60% since 2015, causing almost 50% of renters in Dallas to pay more than they can afford in rent. Meanwhile, to purchase the average home in Dallas, a family would need to make a household income of around $135,000. 

Economically vulnerable households in North Texans often must choose between paying the rent or mortgage and paying for medications, buying gas to get to work, purchasing high-quality, nutritious food and countless other priorities. For many of our neighbors, this impossible situation often forces them to skip meals or choose high-calorie, low-quality food, like that available at fast-food restaurants.  

Texas Passed Up Federal Funding to Feed Low-Income Kids 

To make matters worse, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission recently declined $450 million in federal money to provide food for low-income Texas children this summer. The funding would have enabled economically vulnerable parents to buy groceries for their kids while free school meals are unavailable due to the summer break. If the state had approved the funding, qualifying families would have received $120 per child through a pre-loaded card. 

By passing on the federal tax dollars, Texas turned down an estimated $450 million that would have helped families in our state avoid food insecurity. 

Officials at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission reported limited capacity and resources to get the program up and running before the summer. These restrictions will leave more children vulnerable to food insecurity this summer—particularly in school districts where nine out of 10 students qualify for free lunch programs. During the summer months, children become much more likely to miss meals or get stuck with less nutritious options. 

Take 2 Minutes to Advocate for Expanded Food Access 

United Way is committed to ensuring all North Texas children and families have access to nutritious food—and we believe our leaders should share that commitment. 

Every five years, Congress has the chance to pass a strong Farm Bill that invests in critical federal programs that help individuals and families keep food on the table. That includes SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps ease the strain and stress of hunger in North Texas communities.  

Tell your elected officials that you support protecting and strengthening SNAP. Click here to send an email to legislators. It only takes a few minutes! 

Together, We Can End Childhood Hunger in North Texas 

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, our focus areas—education, income and health—are inextricably linked to food security. That’s why we address the root causes of hunger and advocate for improved food accessibility as we drive progress toward our Aspire United 2030 goals.  

We lead and invest in innovative programs that support communities and families and address challenges like food insecurity. For example, this month we hosted a Food Access Summit, which brought together national and local leaders from the nonprofit, corporate, government and retail sectors to discuss strategies for driving innovation and scalable solutions to food access challenges. Click here to learn more about the summit and view the video recap. 

In addition to initiatives like the Food Access Summit, we partner with dozens of local school districts, nonprofits and other community-based entities to provide nutritious food to hard-working families throughout the year. 

Through Southern Dallas Thrives, United Way and our partners expand food access in this historically underserved area of our region. By tapping organizations from our network of 50 community partners in Southern Dallas, last year we distributed 180,000+ pounds of food dispersed to southern sector families and community-based organizations. This initiative includes supplying local pantries, schools and markets; hosting community-based grocery pop-ups; and delivering nutritious meals directly to residents. 

Meanwhile, through our food access programming and advocacy work, we support summer meals programs as they provide millions of meals and supplemental programming to local children when school is out. These programs are run by local school districts, such as Dallas and Garland ISDs, and local nonprofit organizations such as North Texas Food Bank and Equal Heart. 

Over the last four years, the pandemic and rising food costs have pushed the demand for summer meals to unprecedented levels, and our partners have continued to step up. In 2022, our meal provider partners served a record 56 million meals to North Texas children within Dallas and Collin counties alone.  

Importantly, these summer meals programs also deliver supplemental educational and physical enrichment programs to keep scholars engaged and active. Across approximately 50 program sites throughout North Texas, our partners provide fun activities aimed at preventing learning loss when school is not in session. With activities such as arts and crafts, educational games, physical activities and STEM tutoring, children get to have a little summer fun without the stress and uncertainty that comes with food accessibility challenges. 

Supporting Children in Every Area of Life 

Collaborating to increase food accessibility is just one of the many ways we support young North Texans, both during the summer and throughout the year.  

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we create and invest in a variety of programs that support children’s educational attainment, overall health and even their future work prospects. In addition to our work supporting summer meals programs, here are just a few of our programs and partnerships that ensure kids can thrive: 

  • Digital Bridges, a partnership with AT&T that addresses the digital divide and brings greater access to the digital technology space. The program, which is part of our Southern Dallas Thrives initiative, has distributed thousands of laptops and hot spots to students and young adults across various communities with limited technology access, providing opportunities to stay connected and expand learning. 
  • Dollars for College, a partnership with Communities Foundation of Texas that seeds college savings accounts for low-income students, putting them on a path to attend and graduate college. Children with at least some college savings are three times more likely to attend college and four times more likely to graduate. In our last fiscal year, parents opened 992 new savings accounts through Dollars for College and, with community support, made $343,737 in deposits. 
  • Once Upon a Month™, which delivers free age-appropriate children’s books to families every month, encouraging early literacy by stimulating curiosity, language development and learning skills. In our last fiscal year, 11,276 children received books from Once Upon a Month and 94% of parents read more to their children thanks to the program. And thanks to support from The Boone Family Foundation, we’re moving closer to our goal of distributing 1 million books by 2027. 

Let’s Support Children Throughout the Summer 

When we come together, we can ensure all children get the support they need in every area of life. This includes keeping them well-fed, providing families with fun educational resources to keep kids’ minds engaged and setting them up for success after they finish school.  

We invite you to be part of this important work by investing in United Way. A gift of any amount makes a meaningful impact in our community: 

  • $25 can support our food security initiatives, enabling summer meal sponsors to increase their impact in local communities. 
  • $36 could provide a child with 12 books a year through Once Upon a Month, preparing them for school and early reading. Students who read on grade level by third grade are five times more likely to graduate ready for success in college or career 
  • $45 can ensure every student goes back to school with the supplies they need to succeed, including school uniforms.  
  • $50 could seed a child’s college savings account through Dollars for College, which can grow to nearly $500 by high school graduation. 

Click here to make a one-time or monthly donation today. 

Together, we can ensure every child has the access and opportunity to thrive this summer and throughout the year. 

Mother With Baby Working In Office At Home

Offering Support to Ensure Mothers and Babies Thrive

Written by Meg Costa on . Posted in News & Updates.

Content courtesy of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas

Karen Caldwell sometimes worried new mothers and their babies might not be set up for success as she watched them leave the hospital.

Her passion for helping mothers and infants led her to nursing. But working in labor and delivery, Caldwell raced to care for one patient after another during long shifts. She didn’t have time to assess whether a new mother had the support she needed to nurture and care for her baby after they went home.

Caldwell, now nurse manager at Dallas nonprofit Metrocare, is providing the in-home care and support she knew mothers and babies needed to thrive after leaving the hospital. The agency’s Flourishing Family program offers in-home prenatal and postpartum support, including physical and mental health checks and parent education.

“We want to set up mothers and their babies for the best possible scenarios in their home,” Caldwell says. “It is so rewarding. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

A Partnership That Expands Health Access

In partnership with United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, the program was established in 2020 to increase healthcare access and provide resources to families, including referrals for mental health services, housing and public assistance, domestic violence shelters and primary care.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) has awarded Blue Impact℠ grants to Flourishing Family and other nonprofits across Texas to advance work addressing social and economic factors that play a role in health and wellness.

“It’s important that we support community-based organizations that are directly supporting children and families,” says Sheena Payne, BCBSTX community affairs director. “Our collaboration with United Way of Metropolitan Dallas allows us to strategically and directly target organizations that are focused on and moving the needle on health access solutions.”

Flourishing Family’s’ nurses and social workers tailor the education and encouragement they provide, working with parents in the program to meet their needs rather than dictating how to help babies achieve developmental milestones, says Metrocare’s Carrie Parks, chief of intellectual or developmental disabilities provider and specialized services.

“Some of our clients are raising children alone,” she says. “Some moms feel so extremely isolated. They need to know what a good job they are really doing with their babies.”

The program enrolls up to 135 clients annually, providing up to 10 weekly visits. Families in need of additional support are referred to other programs, says Abigail Sharp, United Way’s vice president of early childhood initiatives.

“Our goal is to build a continuum of care in North Texas,” she says. “We’re connecting the dots in the community. We see that as a big piece of our role to help families learn about and access benefits, reduce barriers to care navigation and create awareness that programs like Flourishing Family exist.”

A Reliable Source of Support

As she suspected during her years in the hospital, Caldwell has discovered many new mothers don’t have the help they need when they get home with their babies. After work, she keeps her phone on because she knows some clients don’t have any other source of reliable information.

“I have a couple of moms who message me every night with questions” she says. “They are really happy to have a professional resource and help from our team.”

During home visits, Caldwell watches mothers interact with their babies. Conversations about postpartum depression and breastfeeding struggles are common.

“The families are just so appreciative when you’re reinforcing that they’re doing a good job,” she says. “This is an amazing time in their lives. I love being able to help.”

three kids in circle smiling

Vote for a Brighter Future for North Texas During Elections on May 4 and 28

Written by Meg Costa on . Posted in News & Updates.

This is a big election year, and we’re not just talking about November. Did you know there are two important elections in May that will directly impact North Texas?

Among other important items, these elections include two bond propositions that, if approved, would provide historic funding to support people experiencing homelessness and to prevent homelessness through the construction of affordable housing.

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we consider preventing homelessness and encouraging housing stability as foundational to our mission to improve access to education, income and health—because all North Texans need a safe, stable home environment in order to thrive in these three interconnected areas. We work in partnership with community organizations and our supporters to prevent homelessness, encourage the development of affordable housing and lift up our neighbors experiencing homelessness.

We encourage all eligible voters to learn about the bonds and seats in the May elections and make a plan to vote. And we hope every change-seeker in our community will support Dallas’ 10 bond propositions, which will address housing attainability and provide vital investments throughout the city.

Keep reading for more information about what’s on the ballot next month and what you need to know to cast your vote.

Key Voting Dates

May 4 election:

  • Early Voting: April 22-30
  • Election Day: Saturday, May 4

May 28 election:

  • Early Voting: May 20-24
  • Election Day: Tuesday, May 28

What’s on the Ballot

To see a sample ballot for your address, visit the Vote Texas website. Remember, you can print and fill out your ballot and take it with you to the polls so you can easily keep track of who you want to vote for!

There are three key things to look for on your May ballots:

  • May 4 election:
    • Bond propositions that would fund things like parks, libraries and affordable housing projects
    • School board elections in districts across North Texas
  • May 28 election: Runoff elections from the March primaries

Read on for more information on each of these important topics.

Vote ‘Yes’ for These 10 Bond Propositions

One of the most important pieces of the May 4 election is a $1.25 billion bond program, which would fund new and upgraded streets, sidewalks, parks, libraries, cultural facilities, public safety facilities, and homeless facilities. In addition, if passed, the 2024 bond program would fund public infrastructure to support economic development and affordable housing projects.

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we’re encouraging every change-seeker to vote “yes” for these bond propositions, because they align with our mission to improve access to education, income and health.

Here are details on each of the 10 propositions:

Proposition A: Streets and Transportation

If passed, Proposition A would fund:

  • Roads
  • Bridges
  • Sidewalks
  • Traffic signals
  • Safety projects
  • Railroad crossing noise reduction

Proposition B: Parks and Recreation

If passed, Proposition B would fund:

  • Parks
  • Recreation centers and trails
  • Specialty parks (ex: dog parks, skate parks)
  • Athletic fields
  • Golf center
  • Pedestrian bridges
  • Playgrounds

Proposition C: Flood Protection and Storm Drainage

If passed, Proposition C would fund projects for:

  • Flood protection
  • Storm drainage
  • Erosion control
  • Utilities relocation

Proposition D: Library Facilities

If passed, Proposition D would fund the construction of, repair to and land purchase for libraries, including the Preston Royal Library and the replacement of the North Oak Cliff Branch and the Park Forest Branch libraries.

Proposition E: Cultural and Performing Arts Facilities

If passed, Proposition E would fund the construction of, repair to and land purchase for cultural arts facilities. The project may include the Oak Cliff Cultural Center, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Latino Cultural Center, Majestic Theatre, Sammons Center for the Arts, South Dallas Cultural Center and the Bath House Cultural Center.

Proposition F: Public Safety Facilities

If passed, Proposition F would fund public safety projects, such as the repair of police substations, fire stations, police and fire administrative facilities, and police and fire training facilities.

Proposition G: Economic Development

If passed, Proposition G would fund economic development programs, such as grants and incentives for commercial, industrial, retail, residential or mixed-use development, infrastructure development, and land purchase.

Proposition H: Housing

If passed, Proposition H would fund affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization initiatives, including constructing affordable housing, infrastructure construction and land purchase.

Proposition L: Homelessness

If passed, Proposition I would fund the construction, repair and land purchase for permanent, supportive and short-term housing for North Texans experiencing homelessness.

Proposition J: Information Technology

If passed, Proposition J would provide funding for Dallas’ information technology facilities. The projects may include constructing a City Data Center and improving access control systems, power supply and fire alarm/life safety systems.

For more information on these 10 bond propositions,

For more information on these 10 bond propositions, visit the 2024 Dallas Bond Campaign website. If you live in Collin County, here’s a helpful guide to check out other local bond and city council elections.

Check Out Your Local School Board Candidates

Several North Texas school districts are running school board elections in the May 4 election. This is an opportunity to support candidates who align with your vision for your children’s school and education.

Leadership ISD has created a candidate evaluation tool designed to help community members make an informed vote for candidates who will put students first and remain laser-focused on student outcomes.

The tool presents each candidate’s responses to six outcomes-aligned questions and lets voters rate them based on proven, research-based criteria for effective school board leadership. When finished, the tool will show how you scored each candidate and provide links to their campaign websites and other school board election information.

Visit the Leadership ISD Candidate Evaluation Tool.

Remember to Vote in the May 28 Runoff Elections

March’s primary election resulted in dozens of runoffs throughout Texas, including five key runoffs in North Texas: U.S. House Districts 12 and 32 along with Texas House Districts 33, 61 and 64.

To find out if your district has any runoffs for the May 28 election, visit the Vote Texas website.

And for more information on each runoff race and the candidates involved, check out the Texas Tribune’s Texas 2024 May Runoff Ballot.

Learn More About Voting in North Texas

Visit our Voting Guide webpage for all the info you need to cast your ballot, including:

  • Where to vote
  • How to check your registration
  • What to take with you and more
  • Your rights as a voter in Texas
  • How to vote by mail

A Video Guide to Filing a Childcare Facility Property Tax Exemption

Written by Meg Costa on . Posted in News & Updates.

The City of Dallas and Dallas County recently approved a 100% tax break for childcare facilities serving low-income families—a move that will make childcare more affordable for North Texans and help advance our mission to improve access to education, income and health.

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we want to encourage every eligible childcare owner to apply for this tax break if your municipality has approved it. We’ve produced a helpful instructional video in partnership with the North Texas Early Education Alliance to guide you through the application process.

Learn More About Prop 2 and Encourage Local Implementation

At United Way, we’ve been closely following and reporting on Prop 2, the constitutional amendment that paved the way for childcare facility tax relief. Read our blog to learn more about this important policy change and how it impacts education, income and health.

Are you in a city or county that hasn’t approved childcare facility tax relief? Learn how to implement this tax relief locally.

Looking for Support in Filing Your Taxes?

United Way offers free tax preparation services to ensure our neighbors save money when filing their taxes and receive all eligible credits and refunds.

Read our new blog to learn more.

woman with children painting

North Texas Leads the State in Child Abuse. Together, We Can Prevent It.

Written by Meg Costa on . Posted in News & Updates.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, an opportunity to call attention to the tens of thousands of incidents of child abuse reported every year in our community.

Throughout this important month of awareness, we’re calling on all North Texans to learn more about the prevalence of child abuse and neglect in our community, to help us raise awareness of this important issue and to join our efforts to prevent child maltreatment of every kind.

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we’ve identified education, income and health as the building blocks of opportunity. Child abuse prevention is one important component of our work that touches on all three of these areas—because a stable, loving home provides a foundation for children to live a healthy life, succeed in school and go on to achieve financial stability.

In honor of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, let’s take a look at the state of child abuse in Texas, how United Way of Metropolitan Dallas works to prevent child maltreatment and how you can get involved in this important work.

Child Abuse is on the Rise in North Texas

Although last year brought a sliver of good news—child fatalities decreased 34% between 2020 and 2023—unfortunately, there were still nearly 50,000 unique victims of child abuse reported in Texas last year.

How does our region fare? In 2022, more than 9,000 North Texas children were served by Child Protective Services (CPS). In 2023, that number rose to more than 11,000—far more than any of the state’s other metro areas. Unfortunately, these numbers are headed in the wrong direction.

These figures all indicate that our entire North Texas community must do more to prevent child abuse and neglect before it ever begins.

United Way Prevents Child Abuse and Neglect

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we provide support services and educational resources to parents to foster healthy, caring home lives. Together with our committed supporters, we give parents the tools and knowledge they need to ward off child abuse and neglect before it ever happens.

United Way has been the lead organization on home visiting in Dallas County since 2012. Each year, we serve thousands of caregivers in North Texas with parental education and support programming. Our work aims to empower parents and eliminate common parenting stressors that increase the risk for child abuse and neglect.

Two of our programs focus specifically on supporting families with young children:

Healthy Outcomes Through Prevention and Early Support (HOPES): HOPES helps local parents create home environments in which young children can thrive. Working with clinics, organizations and government agencies, the program seeks to reduce instances of child maltreatment by helping improve parenting skills through instruction, support and connections to community resources.

Texas Home Visiting Program (THVP): THVP supports people in becoming great parents. This free program for soon-to-be-parents and those with children under the age of 5 matches Dallas and Collin County families with a trained home visitor—a nurse, experienced parent, trained professional or volunteer—to answer questions, offer advice, provide support and teach parents how to prepare their kids for kindergarten.

During our last fiscal year, 955 local families participated in a home visiting program through HOPES or THVP, and 1,750 North Texans attended early childhood development community events to learn more about their children’s key milestones.

Programs like HOPES and THVP offer a variety of benefits to parents, children and the community as a whole. For example, preventing child abuse saves our state significant amounts of money. Serving a single child in the foster care system for a year costs the state of Texas $17,290, which is 17 times the amount our child abuse prevention programming costs to serve one family.

HOPES and THVP also have a profound impact on new parents, as well as any family that experiences stressful times. Take for example Karla, a client from our partner agency Lumin. Karla’s family came to Lumin when Karla was 18 months old. In her initial developmental screenings, Karla showed delays in communication and social-personal development. She also had numerous challenges during home visits: She would throw things across the room, she struggled with concentration and she had difficulty with expressive language. During some visits, Karla would hit herself in frustration. This made her mother uncomfortable and, as a result, she cancelled visits, would not take her children out of the house and became isolated.

This situation was understandably frustrating for both Karla and her mother. However, the parent educator at Lumin kept working with Karla’s mother, speaking with her about strategies and establishing routines. They worked together to create a home learning environment, to offer freedom of choice and to establish limits and routines for Karla. Since then, Karla and her mom have taken a 180-degree turn. Karla is aware of the visit routine, she sits patiently and waits until the materials are set up, and she listens attentively when mom reads her a book. Karla now goes to childcare with other kids where she is social, shares and knows how to take turns. When completing a Family Centered Assessment, Karla’s mother showed significant gains in parenting skills and building capacity.

With a little guidance and support, Karla’s mother learned how to support her daughter and create a positive learning environment in which she can thrive. This is the type of intervention that has been shown to prevent child abuse and neglect by empowering parents when they need it most.

Together, We Can Prevent Child Abuse

Child abuse cases remain high in North Texas, and we believe every child deserves protection. Join us as we work to prevent child abuse across our region. Here are three ways to get involved right now:

  1. Advocate for strong families. Sign up here to receive our Advocacy Alerts and sign up for our new Policy in Brief newsletter. We’ll let you know how and when to contact your lawmakers to advocate for initiatives that prevent child abuse—for example, HOPES and Texas Home Visiting Program.
  2. Volunteer during National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Support local children and parents this month through two volunteer opportunities: by helping out at our Health & Prevention Expo on Saturday, April 27, or by donating time to support the First3Years’ Safe Babies program.
  3. Make a donation to support child abuse prevention. When you invest in United Way, you create lasting change right here at home. Your donation will help support programs like HOPES and Texas Home Visiting Program and ensure all North Texas children have the opportunity to thrive. Click here to donate.

Suspect Child Abuse?

If you suspect abuse or neglect, contact the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services toll-free at 1-800-252-5400, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also file a report via their Abuse Hotline website.

Need Support?

If you are a parent who is struggling with keeping your children safe and healthy, please contact one of our partner agencies for resources and support:

Agent talking to a couple in the office

United Way Supports Easier, More Affordable Options for Taxpayers

Written by Meg Costa on . Posted in News & Updates.

Tax season is a stressful time for many North Texans, due to the uncertainty and expense of filing taxes. But luckily there’s a growing movement to make filing tax returns easier and more affordable—or even free.

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we lead and invest in a variety of initiatives that enable more North Texans to achieve financial stability. We offer free tax preparation to ensure our neighbors save money when filing their taxes and receive all eligible credits and refunds. We also advocate for governmental programs that reduce the cost and complexity of the tax filing process, and we’re big supporters of a new free tax filing tool from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

These money-saving initiatives directly support our mission to improve access to education, income and health—the building blocks of opportunity. Because when individuals and families can hold on to more of their money, they benefit in every area of their life.

Read on to learn more about United Way’s free tax programs, as well as the IRS’ new free tax filing tool.

United Way Offers Free Tax Services

Taxes are due on Monday, April 15, and we want to encourage every eligible North Texan to take advantage of our free tax prep services to file their returns.

Each year, thousands of our neighbors use our free tax prep services to file their returns. With the help of volunteer tax experts who are IRS certified, the average filer saves around $200 in tax preparation and filing fees, plus gets an average refund of $2,400 by claiming all their eligible tax credits and refunds. As a result, these programs bring millions of dollars in refunds back into our community every year.

During our 2022-2023 fiscal year, 9,500 North Texas families filed their taxes through our free services and received a total of $13.2 million in refunds. A team of 168 incredible volunteers made this impact possible.

“Tax time is an important financial moment, but unfortunately many families miss the opportunity for a refund because they don’t realize all of the tax credits that they are entitled to, or they make a mistake when they file,” said Greg Mangum, vice president of economic mobility at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. “We encourage all eligible North Texans to use our Free Tax Programs so they receive all their eligible tax credits and refunds—because when families can hold onto more of what they earn, they’re in a better position to achieve financial stability.”

File Your Taxes for Free

To get started with one of our free tax services, explore your options below:

In-person, drive-through or drop-off tax prep assistance

Foundation Communities operates seven Community Tax Centers in the Dallas area that return millions of dollars to the local economy by helping families take better control of their finances. During the tax season, IRS-certified volunteers offer free tax help to individuals and families who earn less than $64,000 a year. Clients can file current and previous year tax returns, file non-resident returns and obtain ITIN renewals. Virtual and online services are also available through the Community Tax Centers.

Who’s eligible? Households that earned $64,000 or less in the last tax year are eligible for services including current and previous year tax returns, non-resident returns and ITIN renewals. Services are available in English and Spanish.

For updated information, service locations, or to sign up for text alerts, visit www.dallastaxcenters.org or text TAXCENTERS to 833-939-1387.

Online tax prep help

MyFreeTaxes is an online tax filing program that enables people to file their federal and state taxes for free while getting the assistance they need. United Way provides MyFreeTaxes in partnership with the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to help filers prepare their tax returns on their own or have their return prepared for them for free.

The benefits of MyFreeTaxes include:

  • Free federal and state returns
  • Available to everyone—no restrictive eligibility requirements (No geography or age limits)
  • Mobile friendly
  • Available in English and Spanish
  • Staffed by IRS-trained specialists

Who’s eligible? Households with an income at or below $79,000 can access fully online, self-directed tax prep services that are not subject to fees or paid add-ons. Visit www.MyFreeTaxes.com. Services are available in English and Spanish.

Learn more about both of these services, including what you’ll need to bring with you, on our Free Tax Prep resources page.

IRS Direct File Available to Texans for the First Time in History

This year the IRS rolled out a new tool to make filing taxes more affordable and accessible for Americans.

Direct File is a free, public and online tax filing tool that enables Americans to file taxes directly to the IRS. The IRS is rolling the Direct File pilot out in phases, and Texas is one of the 12 states with access to the new tool.

Direct File allows tax filers to:

  • File a 2023 federal tax return—for free—in English or Spanish
  • Add your tax information with step-by-step guidance
  • Connect with real-time online support from IRS customer service representatives
  • File your taxes from smartphones, laptops, tablets and desktop computers

Who’s eligible? Direct File requires a valid ID and a social security number or ITIN, and there are household income limitations for filers making $125,000 or more. Direct File supports standard deductions, but not itemized deductions. And, it only works for people with certain kinds of health insurance, and for people without health insurance.

It’s important to note that Direct File is designed for tech-savvy taxpayers that have internet access to support a video call, a working camera on a phone, tablet or computer, and a U.S. phone number that accepts texts or phone call.

IRS Direct File will enable nearly 4 million Texans to file their taxes for free this year. To celebrate and spotlight the new IRS tool, on March 21 Mangum joined Angela Williams, president and CEO of United Way Worldwide, as well as local and federal officials to host a press conference at Dallas’ MLK Jr. Community Center.

During the event, Deputy Secretary of Treasury Wally Adeyemo said 3.8 million Texans would be eligible to file their taxes for free with the IRS this filing season and urged all tax filers to learn more about the new tool.

Find out more here about eligibility and how Direct File works.

Support Financial Stability in North Texas

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we believe every North Texan should have the opportunity and access to achieve financial stability. We invite you to join the Live United movement to ensure North Texans can get and keep better jobs, establish savings and hold on to more of what they earn.

Ready to start making a difference right here at home? Here are three ways to improve financial stability in our community: