Helping Hands: Social Services for Children in Texas. Texas Kids Count: Fact Book 2

This Kids Count fact book describes services that are designed to protect the health, education, and safety of children in each county in Texas. It begins with a brief overview of each service program, describing the services, giving eligibility requirements, and analyzing regional differences in service provision across the state. The overview is followed by a profile of each county, including the rates at which children in that county receive income assistance, education enhancement, and child protection services. The indicators used in county profiles are rates of participation in: (1) Aid to Families with Dependent Children; (2) Food Stamps; (3) Medicaid; (4) Women, Infants and Children Supplemental Food Program; (5) Supplemental Security Income; (6) state-subsidized child care; (7) Head Start; (8) public pre-kindergarten programs; (9) free or reduced school lunch and breakfast; (10) bilingual programs; (11) special education; (12) confirmed cases of child abuse; (13) family violence shelters; and (14) foster care. Regional and county rates and rankings are also provided. (EV)