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Author: United Way of Metropolitan Dallas

Preventing Childhood Hunger This Summer

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on . Posted in News & Updates.

When the school year ends, tens of thousands of North Texas students rely on summer meals programs to access regular nutritious meals and to keep hunger at bay.

During the last two summers, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted and changed summer meals programming significantly. And while this year’s programs will be somewhat of a return to normalcy, summer meal providers are facing new challenges as they work to feed tens of thousands of local kids.

Read on to learn more about our work with summer meals providers, our impact in 2021, and challenges and opportunities for 2022.

 

Preventing Childhood Hunger

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we understand that nutrition is a key part of health—which along with education and income form the building blocks of opportunity. Regular, healthy meals are a necessity for children to be able to learn and grow.

That’s why we partner with dozens of local school districts, nonprofits and other organizations to support the prevention of hunger and provide a necessary resource for hard-working families during the summertime months.

In 2013, we partnered with Baylor University Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty to launch the North Texas Summer & Supper Council (NTXSSC). Our work with NTXSSC supports summer meals programs as they provide millions of meals to children throughout Dallas. These include local school districts, such as Dallas and Garland ISDs, and nonprofits like CitySquare and Equal Heart.

 

Our Collective Impact

The pandemic pushed the demand for summer meals to unprecedented levels.

In a typical summer, NTXSSC works with more than two dozen groups that serve more than 2 million meals to 55,000+ children. In 2020, the pandemic created a spike in demand as many families lost their income and struggled to pay for necessities like groceries. That year, North Texas sponsors served more than 10.2 million meals in Dallas and Collin counties—more than four times the number of summer meals served during a normal year.

In 2021, demand was even higher, and North Texas meal providers delivered a total of 12,211,300 summer meals within Dallas and Collin counties. Thanks to supporters like you, NTXSSC was able to get the word out to more families and provide both in-person and drive-through meals.

For many children, these meals keep them from going hungry at least part of the day. Research by the North Texas Food Bank found that in 2021 one in five kids lives in a food-insecure household. That means at least 300,000 children don’t have consistent access to enough food to live an active, healthy life—which can hurt their development, their performance in school and even their ability to enjoy time with friends and family.

 

Challenges and Opportunities for 2022

This summer, meal providers will be returning to their pre-pandemic format, with children eating in person at various sites throughout North Texas and enjoying some fun group activities with their peers. Families will no longer be able to access meals through bulk pick-up or grab-and-go lines, because federal child nutrition wavers, which made it easier to provide food quickly and in a socially distanced manner, are set to end June 30.

As Ashley Douglas, senior director of the United Way Southern Dallas Thrives initiative, explains, “This will be the first attempt for full in-person programming by many program sponsors since 2019. It will truly be a transitional year. The hope is that parents feel safe and excited about enrolling their children into summer programming at various locations throughout the metroplex.”

The shift back to in-person summer meals is good news for kids who have missed out on the supplemental programming that summer meals providers deliver, such as learning opportunities, arts and crafts, water balloon fights, bounce houses and games. However, due to the loss of many federal waivers that enabled countless local families to weather the financial challenges of the last two years, we do expect to see some program shifts.

Julie Fletcher, director of support services for Dallas ISD’s Food and Child Nutrition Services, explained that although demand for summer meals should be lower this year, North Texas families still need the same level of support due to inflation, rising gas prices, parents working multiple jobs and other factors.

“Nutrition needs for growing children don’t stop at the end of the school year,” Fletcher said. “Summer meals help children bridge the gap from not having school meals. And with supply chain issues and inflation raising the cost of food, families can rely on summer meals to help provide healthy foods for their children.”

Supply chain issues and inflation are also hitting summer meal providers like Dallas ISD. Fletcher said she has seen the cost of some foods increase by up to 40%. Meanwhile, supply chain disruptions have made it nearly impossible to access certain foods and supplies, and staffing shortages are making distributing meals a challenge.

As Kristen Chan, coalition child hunger specialist with Baylor University Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, explains, “Summer meal programs may look very different this year for the kids and families. We all hope for a return to normal, but families need continued help to feed their kids this summer and beyond.”

 

Support Summer Meals in North Texas

Although summer meals programs are returning to many of their pre-pandemic formats, these are far from normal times. More than ever, summer meals providers will require support from the NTXSSC to ensure they can meet the demand for regular, nutritious meals throughout the summer break.

At United Way, we recognize that childhood hunger is a community problem, and it requires a community-wide solution. Now is the perfect time to join our movement and have a direct and positive impact on North Texas families. This summer, there are two easy ways to get involved:

  • Give: Investing in United Way of Metropolitan Dallas is one of the most impactful ways to create positive change right here at home. When you make a donation today, your gift will support initiatives like the North Texas Supper & Summer Council, enabling support for our partners who will continue to serve students this summer.
  • Volunteer: This month, you can sign up to assist with our 2022 Summer Meals Kickoff, held June 22 at Beckley-Saner Rec Center in Dallas. We’re looking for volunteers to host games and activities for kids at this fun-filled community event.

A big thank you to Mr. Cooper Group and Vistra Corp., presenting sponsors of the North Texas Supper & Summer Council Summer Meals kickoff this year. We appreciate your help in bringing awareness to the program and supporting the important work of this year’s summer meals distributors.

Bench & Bar 2022

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on . Posted in News & Updates.

This April, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas proudly hosted our annual Bench & Bar event, featuring a panel of local legal experts from some of North Texas’ leading companies.

Our panel included David Huntly, senior executive vice president at AT&T; Stephanie Zapata Moore, executive vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer at Vistra Corp.; and Bryan Stevenson, chief legal officer for Arcosa.

Their engaging conversation ranged from strategies for building strong partnerships between in-house and outside counsel to a discussion of recent changes in the legal environment, including the increased focus on data privacy obligations.

College and Career Readiness Benefits All North Texas

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on . Posted in News & Updates. 9 Comments on College and Career Readiness Benefits All North Texas

This month, tens of thousands of graduating seniors across North Texas are preparing to take their next steps into the world. The stakes are high for each individual student and for our community as a whole. After all, these students are graduating amid a steep 10-year decline in college enrollment and the uncertainty of our current job market.

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, college and career readiness is an important part of our work. We know that when students are empowered with a strong education, they are more likely to go on to achieve financial stability, which also supports a lifetime of good health. These three building blocks of opportunity—education, income and health—are the foundation that enables our neighbors in North Texas to thrive.

College and career readiness programs play a key role in preparing students for success, expanding financial stability, growing our local workforce and ensuring more of our neighbors can access the health care they need. Here, we take a closer look at the importance of these initiatives, as well as how you can help prepare high schoolers for life after graduation.

The Importance of College and Career Readiness

Perhaps now more than ever, students in our community greatly benefit from college and career readiness programs. Over the last two years, COVID-19 has sent shock waves through schools across North Texas, leaving many students feeling uncertain about their post-graduation plans. Are they truly ready for life after high school? Should they apply for college, even though the high cost of tuition is turning many students away? Or should they enter the workforce and hope to work their way up over the years?

For many graduates, these types of decisions have a huge impact on their future financial security. When students aren’t college or career ready, they’re more likely to fall behind after high school. Today, 74% of young adults in North Texas don’t earn a living wage. Without that basic level of financial stability, our young neighbors can really struggle.

College and career readiness also impacts our community as a whole. For North Texas to continue its economic success, our region needs a skilled workforce that is prepared for the jobs and demands of today’s global economy.

Consider these statistics: Eighty-five percent of good-paying jobs in North Texas require education beyond a high school diploma, but only 30% of local students are prepared for college or career training that will qualify them for these jobs. Like so much else in our society, this problem hits people of color hardest: The rates of college readiness are significantly lower for Black (15%) and Latinx (17%) students compared to their white peers (42%).

Advancing Our Goals for North Texas

That’s why as part of our Aspire United 2030 goals, we’re working to increase by 20% the number of young adults in North Texas who earn a living wage. This type of progress won’t only benefit individuals; it will have an enormous impact on our region as a whole, adding nearly $800 million in wages to the local economy every year.

For many North Texas students, these challenges begin well before high school. According to a study from the American Educational Research Foundation, students who are both not reading proficiently by third grade and living in poverty are 13 times less likely to graduate from high school on time compared to their proficient, more affluent peers.

We need programs and initiatives that give young students a strong start in school, better prepare graduates to earn a living wage and help to build a more diverse workforce.

We Prepare North Texans for Success

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we create, lead and invest in programs that give students strong pathways to financial security, while also enabling young adults to get and keep better jobs.

Understandably, most K-12 students don’t intuitively know what they want to do with the rest of their lives. At such a young age, they need exposure and access to the relevant skills, experience and connections that will equip them for a living wage job with career advancement—helping to ensure long-term financial stability and economic mobility.

Our programs and investments take a holistic approach that helps students prepare academically, develop social and emotional skills to ensure well-being, and connect with mentors and resources to persist and graduate ready for the professional workplace.

Many of our programs and partnerships directly impact college and career readiness, including:

  • Our partnership with AT&T to address the digital divide: In early 2022, we teamed up with AT&T to provide families in Southern Dallas neighborhoods with free laptops, digital literacy training and technology support. The goal of the program is to encourage students to engage in online learning and set them up for success in today’s digital school and job environments.
  • Dollars for College: This partnership with Communities Foundation of Texas provides easy, low-cost college savings accounts for low-income North Texans, increasing the odds of students attending and completing college.
  • Once Upon a Month™: This program delivers age-appropriate children’s books to North Texas children every month to encourage language development and spark a love of reading. (It’s never too early to prepare a child for college or a career; in fact, researchers have found that children reading on grade level by the end of third grade are five times more likely to be college or career ready than their peers who aren’t reading proficiently.)
  • Start Smart Texas: This free text service gives busy parents the tools they need to be confident first teachers for their children, including information on child development, social-emotional learning and other skills that help them succeed in preschool, kindergarten and early grades.

We also work with several community partners to achieve our goals, including:

  • Big Thought, which provides programs that foster creativity in young people from marginalized communities and prepare them for success in education, work and life.
  • Cornerstone Crossroads Academy, a second-chance high school located in South Dallas that delivers academic support, vocational preparation, and mentorship to at-risk students.
  • Education is Freedom, which provides college, career and life-readiness programs to help develop a skilled and educated workforce in North Texas.
  • Education Opens Doors, a turnkey program that gives teachers the content, training and technology they need to help middle school students navigate and set post-graduation goals.
  • ScholarShot, a college completion program that helps college students earn vocational, associate or undergraduate degrees through academic and financial support, mentorship and more.
  • Step Up, a program that matches girls with mentors to prepare them for graduation and empower them to graduate on time.
  • Uplift Education, whose Road to College program helps prepare students for life after high school and supports them through college and into a career.
  • Young Women’s Preparatory Network, an initiative that supports college-preparatory, public education for girls, with a goal of giving young women the academic and leadership skills to succeed in college and in life.

Achieve Key Financial Milestones

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These and other obstacles keep many North Texans from achieving financial security, which can also impact their educational opportunities and health.

April is National Financial Capability Month—an important opportunity for individuals to take action to improve their financial futures. If you are one of the many North Texans who is working toward greater financial security, rest assured: It is an achievable goal that will not only benefit you but also have an impact on your family and their future. And United Way of Metropolitan Dallas can be a valuable resource as you start out on that journey.

5 Steps to Improve Your Financial Security

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we create, lead and invest in programs that enable North Texans to get and keep better jobs, build savings and hold on to more of what they earn. Our financial stability programs are designed to support individuals and families with free education, resources and guidance.

Here, we count down five straightforward steps to take during National Financial Capability Month that can improve your financial position:

1. #GetBanked

If you don’t have a bank account, you’re not alone: The FDIC reports that 7.1 million U.S.

Women making a cash withdrawal at an ATM

households lack a relationship with a bank. By signing up for a bank account that meets your needs, you’ll enjoy several benefits:

  • You’ll know your money is safe and FDIC insured up to $250,000.
  • You’ll avoid check-cashing fees.
  • You can use ATMs to withdraw cash.
  • You can shop online and pay bills from anywhere.
  • You can keep an eye on how much money you have.
  • Finally, if you qualify for a tax refund, you’ll receive your money electronically, which is faster and more secure than waiting for a check from the IRS.

These days, it’s easy to find a bank account that offers low or no fees, no overdraft charges, no minimum deposits and other important benefits. Our Financial Resources page has a list of trusted banks that offer affordable, easy-to-use checking and savings accounts. Or, visit the FDIC’s website at fdic.gov/GetBanked to learn more about the benefits of getting banked and to view a helpful checklist that will guide you to the best bank account for your individual needs. (All resources on this page are also in Spanish.)

2. Break Free From Predatory Loans

Predatory loans trap many North Texans in a cycle of debt, where borrowers can end up owing a

Security of money

payday or auto loan business more than the original loan amount. That’s why it’s important to know about alternatives to predatory loans that allow you to borrow money through organizations that are affordable and fair.

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we partner with several trusted organizations that offer low-cost loans, allowing borrowers like you to quickly access funds and build credit. For example, our partner Society of St. Vincent de Paul offers Predatory Conversion Loans that are designed to pay off payday and auto title lenders by allowing you to convert to a low-interest, one-year loan of up to $4,000 at 3% interest. Capital Good Fund offers another option, the Credit Builder Loan, that enables you to improve your credit score over 12 months.

For more information and to apply for a loan through one of our partner organizations, visit our Financial Resources page.

3. Take Advantage of Free Financial Education Resources

Couple doing home finances together at home

Financial matters can be complicated, which is why it’s so empowering to learn more about things like personal finance, buying a home and saving for retirement. Consider signing up for a financial education class; you might be surprised how helpful the information is for your own financial situation.

These organizations offer a variety of free financial education classes and resources:

  • Building Wealth (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas): An overview of wealth-building strategies for consumers, as well as community leaders, students and teachers
  • First United Bank: Financial education materials and resources, including a “Get Out of Debt Coach” and an online budget calculator
  • Jump Start Coalition: Financial education resources for students and teachers
  • Money Smart (FDIC): Engaging games, podcasts and parent resources that help people of all ages enhance their financial skills and create positive banking relationships
  • Ready, Set, Bank.: (Hosted by Capital One) Video guides and step-by-step tutorials that make online banking easy. Also available in Spanish

4. Get Free Financial Guidance

Two female coworkers analyzing reports together at work

While a little financial education is beneficial, learning everything about financial matters would be a full-time job. That’s why a variety of organizations offer free financial guidance with qualified financial coaches who can help you set and meet your financial goals.

To get started, contact one of our partner agencies.

  • Catholic Charities Dallas: Financial coaching and education, HUD counseling and more
  • Metrocrest Services: Teaches individuals how to pay off debt, increase savings, improve credit and achieve personal financial goals
  • The Senior Source: Financial assistance and education, help with frauds and scam, and more
  • WiNGS Dallas: Financial education, individualized financial coaching, credit-building, benefit screening and more.

5. If You Have Children, Open a College Savings Account

A little financial planning can go a long way toward your children’s future. College savings accounts are especially important: With at least $500 saved, your child is three times more likely to attend college and four times more likely to graduate. And that has a huge ripple effect throughout their life, putting them on a path to a good-paying job, career advancement and financial security.

United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and our partners offer a simple way to save for your child to go to college through Dollars for College, which is currently open to students in Lancaster and Richardson Independent School Districts. The program offers an easy and affordable way to open a my529 children’s savings account for college.

Benefits include:

  • You can open a Dollars for College account online at any time.
  • The account is free: no minimum deposits or balance, and no enrollment fees.
  • There are no age, income or residency restrictions, and you can choose from a range of investment options.
  • If your child attends Lancaster or Richardson ISD, the district will make an opening deposit of $50 in your child’s account.

Click below to sign up for a Dollars for College account today:

  • My child attends school in Lancaster ISD: Sign up
  • My child attends school in Richardson ISD: Sign up

If your child attends a different school district, you can sign up directly for a my529 plan at texascollegesavings.com/enroll. Please note: A regular my529 plan may have different enrollment and deposit requirements.

Get more information here.

Take Control of Your Financial Future

Factors like how much you get paid, whether you’re able to save money and your level of debt can have a huge impact on your quality of life, your health, your family and more. Although financial topics can be daunting, community resources like these can put you and your family in a much better position for a lifetime of financial security.

Family Connects North Texas Expansion

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A Proven Approach

Based on the Durham model, Family Connects is an evidence-based program rigorously evaluated with proven outcomes for improving maternal and child health outcomes that supports parents and caregivers by bringing health care providers, community resources and families together. Research reveals notable results for children and families, including:

  • 94% of families needed one or more links to resources or education
  • Mothers were 28% less likely to experience anxiety symptoms
  • 50% fewer emergency room visits and hospital overnight stays in the first year of life
  • More mother-reported positive parenting behaviors, strengthened home environments and improved child safety
  • Higher likelihood of mothers completing their six-week postpartum health checkups
  • Increase in families using higher-quality childcare

“Simply being able to talk to someone about how I am feeling, how my baby is feeling has helped a lot,” said Ms. Ihssan Tahir, mother of a two-week-old and a 3-year-old. “I am a second-time mom, but no kid is the same. There are different challenges and different things you may need help with.”

Currently, the program is available across the North Texas region, including portions of Dallas County. United Way and our partners hope to secure continued support to scale the program across the entire county.

This Year’s Winners from The Pitch

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Innovating for the Greater Good

Our overall mission is to improve access to education, income and health—key areas that we have identified as the building blocks of opportunity in North Texas. One of the ways United Way works toward our goals is by embracing social innovation: the practice of finding new and innovative solutions for long-standing community problems that are more effective, efficient, sustainable or just than current solutions.

“Our focus on social innovation enables us to tap into the most effective new ideas for creating positive change in our region,” said Jennifer Sampson, McDermott-Templeton president and CEO of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. “Through social innovation initiatives like the Social Innovation Accelerator and The Pitch, we’re able to continue our nearly 100-year legacy of uniting the community around a common goal: a North Texas where everyone has the opportunity and access to thrive.”

The Social Innovation Accelerator in collaboration with Accenture is one of the United Way programs that encourages the creation and growth of innovative new solutions to community issues in education, income and health. Each year, we select a group of social entrepreneurs whose organizations advance progress toward our Aspire United 2030 community impact goals. Each class of Social Innovation Accelerator fellows receives seed funding, boot camp-style training and professional mentoring from United Way.

At the end of the months-long Social Innovation Accelerator program, we choose five of the fellows to move on to The Pitch, a live event where they pitch their ideas to strengthen education, income and health to a live virtual audience and a panel of judges who are leaders in the local business, innovation and philanthropy communities.

Since its creation in 2013, the Social Innovation Accelerator has invested nearly $6.1 million in funding, training and mentoring for 64 North Texas social entrepreneurs. With the support of United Way’s community connections and credibility, these startup organizations have gone on to raise an additional $30.1 million, build more than 800 partnerships, receive national recognition and impact more than 150,000 North Texans.

“All aspects of our community—corporate, philanthropic, government and the public—must work together to ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive,” said Charlene Lake, chief sustainability officer and senior vice president of corporate social responsibility at AT&T, and chair of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Board. “Programs like the Social Innovation Accelerator and The Pitch are driving lasting change by activating the solutions of incredible entrepreneurs who have their finger on the pulse of what it will take to ensure the people in their communities can live their very best lives.”

Community-Wide Investment

In addition to AT&T and Accenture, other sponsors of the event include The Eugene McDermott Foundation, Santander, Vistra, Sara and Gary Ahr, Charles Schwab, United Way Teens United, SVP Dallas, PNC, The Hoglund Foundation, The Moozie Foundation, Carol and Kevin March and the March Tocqueville Fellows, Scott and Melanie Schoenvogel, and Toyota.

“At Accenture, we aspire to make a positive impact in the communities where we live and work, and we believe that everyone should have an opportunity to succeed,” Corral said. “When we work together as a community, we can have a bigger impact. That’s why we partnered with United Way to grow the Social Innovation Accelerator, with both financial support and our Accenture team’s time and talent. It has been inspiring to see the program grow so significantly over the years, helping make North Texas a better, more equitable place for everyone.”

Chow added, “Social innovation brings an entrepreneurial mindset to community impact work, and it can be a powerful tool for change. AT&T, as well as a growing number of other business leaders, recognizes the incredible potential of social innovation. That’s why we make it a priority to invest in programs like The Pitch, which helps social entrepreneurs to exponentially grow their footprint and expand their impact here in North Texas. The result is improved access to education, income and health for our neighbors, and an even better community for us all.”

Q&A with Social Innovation Accelerator Alumni

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Building Success with the Social Innovation Accelerator

United Way of Metropolitan Dallas: Chad, Cafe Momentum was the first Accelerator fellow back in 2013. What did that support from United Way mean for your organization and for you as a founder?

Chad Houser: Our organization was truly birthed through the support of United Way in 2013. As a start-up organization that is built on the premise of working with justice-involved youth in a restaurant environment, there were plenty of doubters as to the efficacy of our program. Having United Way show their support and commitment to our program created a ripple of validation that allowed us to build the foundation for the program we have today. I can never say it enough times: Cafe Momentum exists because United Way believed in us when no one else did.

United Way: Cheri, you went through the Social Innovation Accelerator and The Pitch just last year. You were named Social Innovator of the Year and you won significant funding for Cornbread Hustle. How did that feel?

Cheri Garcia: I was overwhelmed by emotions. I was going through some personal stuff, as my father had just passed away. It was hard walking onto that stage without my dad in the audience, which is why I was so emotional at the beginning of my pitch. Winning felt like my dad was with me in spirit, and I could feel how proud he was of me.

United Way: Cheri, what has changed for Cornbread Hustle since going through the Social Innovation Accelerator?

Cheri: Cornbread Hustle really worked toward creating processes and scaling for growth. Before the Social Innovation Accelerator, we flew by the seat of our pants, so to speak. While that worked to get us to where we were, it was not sustainable to bring us to where we are today. I’m extremely grateful for the nudge from my mentors, Ty and Donna, to encourage better future planning. On a financial note, Cornbread Hustle increased our revenue by five times over the past year. We would’ve really struggled without the strong foundation.

United Way: After your experience in the Social Innovation Accelerator, what has changed for you as the leader of your organization?

Chad: The Accelerator taught me the importance of building a network of support. I’ve used that lesson to continue building a network across the country as we work to change the juvenile justice system.

Cheri: I’ve learned the importance and benefits of preparation. I always disliked practicing my presentations because it makes me so uncomfortable and nervous. But I just did a TEDx talk, and I used a lot of the tools I learned through the Social Innovation Accelerator to prepare.

United Way: What part of the Accelerator would you say has been most beneficial for your organization?

Chad: Easily the mentorship. Whether it be the personal mentorship Jennifer Sampson has provided me, or the mentorship that United Way supporters have provided our team as we built out resource networks for our youth and outcomes, the mentorship has helped lay the foundation for us to serve our mission.

Cheri: The funding was really beneficial to us, because staffing margins are low. It’s hard for us to scale up and hire the right team when we are growing so rapidly. The funding allowed me to focus more on finding the right people to help with operations and employee training so I could work toward getting out of the day to day and focus on my strengths to take Cornbread Hustle to the next level.

A Growing Impact

United Way: What’s next for your organization?

Chad: Two years ago, we launched a national organization called Momentum Advisory Collective (M.A.C.). The M.A.C. team is currently working to launch Cafe Momentum programs in Pittsburgh and Nashville while also creating a national conversation about juvenile justice.

Cheri: Cornbread Hustle created a 12-week “starting over” series that has contributed as a resource to future Cornbread Hustle employees and current. This training helps build stronger employees for our organization both personally and professionally. We are working with some prison pilot programs to offer the course inside prison. We have also expanded our direct-hire services, which are specialized jobs with higher salaries across the country.

Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect

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United Way Works to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we work to 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.

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 helps good people become 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.

Programs like HOPES and THVP can have a profound impact on new parents, as well as any family that experiences stressful times. As Ms. Adame, a HOPES student with our partner AVANCE Dallas, explained, “[Through HOPES,] I have learned to be more patient, to listen to my son, not to yell at him, rather to talk to him and understand him. Sometimes I asked myself why he gets rebellious. But now I have learned that it is normal; he is in that stage of development and that I, as a mother, have to guide him and help him express his emotions and needs.”

One of our other partners, Family Compass, relayed the story of Rachel, a client who experienced abuse as a child and was desperate to break the cycle with her own daughter: “As an adult, Rachel again found herself experiencing domestic abuse by the father of her daughter. With the guidance, knowledge and encouragement received by Family Compass, she was able to safely leave the volatile and abusive relationship with the father of her daughter. Today, Rachel is focused on healing and helping her daughter through the emotional trauma experienced as a witness of domestic violence. Rachel shared that she finally found the understanding and support she knew she needed as she continues to raise her resilient daughter and grow as a mother.”

Texas Child Abuse Statistics for 2021

After spiking during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, child abuse deaths in Texas fell by 20% last year. However, rates of child maltreatment, neglect and suicide remain high in the Lone Star State—a horrible reality that we as a community must continually work to prevent.

According to the state’s Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), 199 Texas children died from abuse or neglect in 2021. That means nearly four children died every week across the state.

While any number of child abuse deaths is tragic, 2021’s total was 20% lower than 2020. That year, the height of the pandemic challenged families in a variety of ways, including school closures, rising unemployment, children spending more time at home, and an uptick in alcohol and drug use among parents. In 2021, some of these factors had lessened a bit, which may be a factor in the improved numbers. Despite the slight improvements, the 2021 statistics also revealed some disturbing trends:

  • There was an uptick in the number of young people who died by suicide, increasing from eight fatalities in 2020 to 12 in 2021.
  • In addition to the 199 confirmed child fatalities, Texas saw an additional 77 near fatalities in 2021.
  • Physical abuse fatalities, which totaled 26 in 2020, remain high after an all-time low in 201.
  • Fifty-seven percent of children who died from abuse or neglect were too young to attend school or not enrolled in daycare, so teachers didn’t have visibility into what was happening at home.

Child Abuse in North Texas

Throughout the pandemic, reports of child abuse fell dramatically, because many instances that would typically be noticed by a teacher or doctor went unreported. Experts say this factor has skewed the child abuse statistics for 2020 and 2021, and the true incidence of child abuse is likely much higher than reported.

What does that mean in North Texas? In our region, the number of child abuse and neglect cases fell sharply from 2020 to 2021—which is progress. However, 2021 still saw 14,445 confirmed incidents of child harm in our region, according to Child Protective Services (CPS). That means North Texas was the worst region in Texas for child abuse and neglect last year.

About one-third of those CPS cases—4,919—happened in Dallas County, which also had the second-highest number of child fatalities in the state, with 18.

These figures all point to a dire need for our North Texas community to do more to prevent child abuse and neglect before it ever begins.

Join Our Efforts to 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 now:

  1. Volunteer during National Child Abuse Prevention Month. We have two volunteer opportunities in April: Contribute to our baby safety wish list, which will support our HOPES and THVP program participants, or organize your own diaper drive for HOPES and THVP and ask your neighbors, friends or coworkers to get involved.
  2. Advocate for strong families. Contact your state senator and representative and ask them to support the expansion of programs that strengthen families, like HOPES, THVP and Family Connects. It only takes a few minutes! Sign up here.
  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 TVHP and help 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 Help?

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: