StepUP Navigation
Take a peek or jump in with both feet

What Are You Looking For?

Explore what matters to you right now

⚡ Got 5 Minutes? Start Here
Pick a Focus Area
▼
Addiction Recovery and Harm Reduction Affordable Housing Adult Education and Literacy Air Quality and Industrial Regulation Animal Welfare, Protection and Advocacy Arts, Culture and Creative Expression Bail Reform and Pretrial Justice Bridging Across Difference Career and Technical Education Child Protection and Family Justice Civic Dialogue and Depolarization Civic Literacy and Education Civic Rituals, Holidays and Public Memorials Civil Rights and Anti-Discrimination Clean Energy Access and Sustainability Clean Water and Sanitation Access Climate Justice and Environmental Resilience Collective Impact and Network Organizing Community Health and Preventive Care Community Wealth Building Creative Economy and Cultural Workforce Criminal Justice Reform Cross-Sector Civic Innovation Culturally Responsive Curriculum Data Equity and Community Mapping Data Privacy and Digital Rights Digital Equity and Internet Access Digital Literacy and Online Safety Disability Justice and Accessibility Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response Early Childhood Development Elder Abuse Prevention Elder Care and Aging in Place Environmental Health and Pollution Prevention Faith and Interfaith Collaboration Family Stabilization and Parenting Support Financial Literacy and Asset Building Food Justice and Sustainable Food Systems Food Security and Hunger Relief Freedom of Speech and Expression Frontline Community Environmental Justice Gender Equity and Safety Government Accountability and Transparency Higher Education Access and Affordability Homeownership and Wealth Building Homelessness Response and Prevention Human Trafficking Prevention Immigration, Asylum and Refugee Services Indigenous Rights and Sovereignty Infrastructure Investment and Equity Institutional Culture Change Intergenerational Programs Internships, Apprenticeships and Fellowships Judicial Reform and Court Access K–12 Public School Equity Land Use, Zoning and Development Justice Language Access and Multilingual Services LGBTQIA+ Rights and Inclusion Living Wage and Job Access Long-Term Disaster Recovery Maternal and Infant Health Equity Media Literacy and Disinformation Mental Health and Emotional Wellness Mobility Justice Narrative Strategy for Systems Change Neighborhood Resilience and Identity Pandemic Response Philanthropy Transformation Policing and Public Safety Policy Advocacy and Campaigns Power-Sharing and Participatory Governance Predatory Lending and Debt Justice Prison Reform and Incarceration Alternatives Public Benefits Access Public Space and Community Design Public-Private Partnership Design Race, Class, and Social Equity Redistricting and Representation Reentry and Reintegration Support Reparations, Truth and Reconciliation Reproductive Health and Rights Restorative and Transformative Justice Root Causes of Poverty Rural Equity and Community Access School Discipline Reform Small Business and Cooperative Development STEM Education and Science Advocacy Storytelling and Narrative Power Student Debt Relief Substance Use Prevention Tax Equity and Public Investment Tenant Rights and Eviction Protection Transportation Access and Equity Trauma-Informed Care and Healing Justice Universal Basic Income Universal Healthcare Access Urban Farming Urban Greening and Green Infrastructure Veteran and Military Family Engagement Veteran Transition and Support Services Voting Access and Election Integrity Worker Rights and Fair Labor Workforce Training and Upskilling Youth Leadership and Voice Youth Wellness and Support Services
WEBINAR, SPOTLIGHT THECHANGELAB WEBINAR, SPOTLIGHT THECHANGELAB

11/19/25 Child Care Is Workforce Infrastructure

When parents have good child care, they can go to work. When they can go to work, Houston's businesses run better. That's why child care is part of how our city works.

But many home-based child care providers struggle. They don't have money saved for emergencies. They don't know how to run the business side of child care. They can't get loans like other small businesses can.

What the Pilot Program Did

  • Gave money to 30 home child care businesses

  • Taught owners how to run their businesses better

  • Helped them prepare for storms and emergencies

  • Tracked what worked and what didn't

  • Learned lessons to help more providers

Read More
NEWS, RESEARCH AND REPORTS THECHANGELAB NEWS, RESEARCH AND REPORTS THECHANGELAB

Across the Political Divide, Parents Sound the Alarm on Kids’ Online Safety

In a rare moment of agreement across party lines, parents from all political backgrounds share deep concern about the impact of social media and smartphones on their children. This is not a left issue or a right issue. This is a parent issue.

Why This Matters for Your Community

  • For Parents: You are not alone in your concerns. Data showing overwhelming consensus across political lines

  • For Schools: Evidence supporting phone-free policies that most parents actually want

  • For Policy Makers: Rare bipartisan issue where Americans agree on the need for action

  • For Tech Companies: Clear signal that parents want better protections for kids online

  • For Communities: A unifying issue that can bring people together across differences

Read More

SUBMIT A RESOURCE