In February 2019, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) awarded the Regional Early Care and Education Support Specialist (RECESS) grant, Initiative 3 to four (4) recipients. The purpose of Initiative 3 is to increase and sustain regional public-private partnerships between Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and early learning programs (ELPs). The scope of the project allows the grantees to provide direct support to create new partnerships and strengthen existing partnerships with the ultimate goal to increase families' access to high-quality prekindergarten programs.
In June 2019, in the 86th Legislative Session, the Texas legislature passed House Bill 3 (HB3) which mandates LEAs to provide a full-day prekindergarten program to all eligible four year olds. HB3 requires LEAs to consider prekindergarten partnerships prior to constructing, re-purposing, or leasing a facility to provide additional prekindergarten classroom space to meet the new legislative requirements. Private early learning programs within the LEA's local community may have classroom space available to help support the requirements, as well as a potential, eligible client base that may not currently be participating in prekindergarten services. In these partnerships, eligible children would be dually enrolled in both programs- the LEA (public school system) and the early learning program. Participating children and families receive core education services from both organizations all in one location.
This initiative allows TXAEYC to support early childhood education by providing direct support to LEAs and early learning centers to create new partnerships and strengthen existing partnerships. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to increase families' access to high-quality prekindergarten programs.

For more information about the RECESS Initiative, contact Laurie Adams, RECESS RP3 Manager at laurie@texasaeyc.org or (512)215-8142.