Author: Jackie Mader, The Hechinger Report

Jackie Mader is an award-winning journalist based in Austin, Texas. She currently covers early childhood education with an emphasis on policies and programs that impact young children and their families. She also writes a bi-weekly early ed newsletter for The Hechinger Report.

Governors in 12 Republican-Led States Reject Federal Funding for Summer Lunches

Twelve states, all led by Republican governors, opted out of the federal SUN Bucks program this summer, which launched in 2024 and provides $120 in grocery benefits for eligible school-aged children during the months when school is out: Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming.

“I think something people don’t always recognize is that summer is the hungriest time of year for families,” said Rachel Sabella, director of the nonprofit No Kid Hungry New York. SUN Bucks in particular gives families more flexibility during the summer to access food, she added.

Why Some Districts Are Spending Big on Schools Tailor-Made for 4-Year-Olds

Jefferson Early Learning Center in Houston, Texas, bears little resemblance to elementary schools many adults recall attending in their earliest years. The classrooms have child-sized boats and construction vehicles children can play on, and ceilings painted to resemble outer space. There are no desks—all space is devoted to learning through play.

Alief Independent School District, which serves about 40,000 children in west Houston, is one of a growing number of districts across the country to pump money into creating a building that is tailor-made for pre-kindergarteners.