Who We Are
Early Matters is a statewide collaborative of business, civic, education, nonprofit and philanthropic leaders dedicated to economic mobility and prosperity for all Texas families through strategic investments in both policies and practices that support children birth – age 8.
Early Matters San Antonio
mark.larson@earlymatterssa.org
Early Matters El Paso
Early Matters Greater Austin
cathy.mchorse@uwatx.org
earlymattersgreateraustin.org
Early Matters Dallas
info@earlymattersdallas.org
earlymattersdallas.org
Early Matters El Paso
earlymatterselpaso.net
Good Reason Houston
trista@goodreasonhouston.org
goodreasonhouston.org
Early Matters San Antonio
mark.larson@earlymatterssa.org
Child Well-Being Movement
haleyoconnell@unitedwaywaco.org
mclennancountychildwellbeing.org
Our Goals
Early Matters works to increase 3rd grade academic outcomes in Texas through:
Quality/Sustainability of Child Care
Families have access to affordable, quality early childhood environments that help their children learn and develop.
Quality of ECE Workforce
A well-trained and well-compensated workforce who have access to professional supports.
Kindergarten Readiness
All children enter kindergarten prepared for school success.
Quality of PK-3rd Public Education
Early elementary classrooms and educators have the support and resources they need to ensure students are performing at grade level by 3rd grade.
Why Early Childhood Education?
Investing in quality early childhood education now is the best way to support existing families in the workforce and ensure a more qualified, higher skilled workforce in the future.
The extraordinary development that occurs from birth to age 5 forms the bedrock for lifelong health, intellectual ability, emotional well-being, and social functioning.
Early Childhood is a smart investment, leading to a 13.7% ROI.
The learning gap is evident by third grade and only 15% of school districts nationwide can produce enough academic growth in a year to close it by high school graduation.
Children in high quality early childhood environments are four times more likely to graduate from high school or college, enabling them to fill our future workforce needs.
Legislative Advocacy
Our coalition is dedicated to influencing state policy that is aligned with our goals. We bring stakeholder voices to the capitol to ensure policy is informed by data and real-world experience.
Proud Member: Employers For Childcare Task Force
Early Matters Texas is a co-founder of the Employers for Childcare Task Force, which as a group of Texas employers, is working to expand working families’ access to affordable, high-quality childcare in Texas. Learn more here.
Meet Our Team
Wendy Uptain is the Executive Director of Early Matters Texas. Prior to this role, Wendy managed a $6M philanthropic portfolio at the Robert R. McCormick Foundation in Chicago, investing in organizations and initiatives for young children and their families.
Wendy began her career in the classroom as an educator. After teaching for several years, she transitioned into education policy and advocacy. She has provided recommendations and consultation to national policymakers and state agency leaders on a range of issues including early childhood education and care and teacher preparation. She founded the Hope Street Group Fellowship, a leadership program for teachers to learn about and influence national and state education policy. Wendy has also worked at the U.S. Department of Education in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.
In 2011, she was honored as a White House Champion of Change for her work in education advocacy and community engagement. Wendy has a BA in Early Childhood Education from Brigham Young University and an MPA focused in Education Policy from the George Washington University.
Wendy Uptain is the Executive Director of Early Matters Texas. Prior to this role, Wendy managed a $6M philanthropic portfolio at the Robert R. McCormick Foundation in Chicago, investing in organizations and initiatives for young children and their families.
Wendy began her career in the classroom as an educator. After teaching for several years, she transitioned into education policy and advocacy. She has provided recommendations and consultation to national policymakers and state agency leaders on a range of issues including early childhood education and care and teacher preparation. She founded the Hope Street Group Fellowship, a leadership program for teachers to learn about and influence national and state education policy. Wendy has also worked at the U.S. Department of Education in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.
In 2011, she was honored as a White House Champion of Change for her work in education advocacy and community engagement. Wendy has a BA in Early Childhood Education from Brigham Young University and an MPA focused in Education Policy from the George Washington University.