Timeline of Waco Maternal-Child Health & Well Being Developments
Work to Build upon… It is time to end poverty by targeting the root cause. It is not a matter of no one caring; the history of investment in our community makes that clear. Let us learn from our trials and triumphs over the decade to improve the quality of life for children 0-3 year old.
| Year |
Event |
| 1967 |
EOAC Head Start Begins |
| 1970 |
Waco-McLennan County Family Practice Residency Program officially began and the Community Health Clinic opens |
| 1982 |
Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) was funded by the Texas Legislature in 1980 and two years later the Klaras Children’s Center ECI received one of the first grants serving children birth to 3 with developmental delays and disabilities |
| 1985 |
Parents as Teachers program launches in WISD |
| 1988 |
Youth Connection began helping young people overcome obstacles and influences that place them at risk |
| 1990 |
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was opened in September of 1990 under the leadership of Dr. Darrell Wheeler, M.D. |
| 1991 |
Texas Workforce rolled out Texas Rising Star |
| 1993 |
The Bond Program: A proposal to enhance prenatal care in McLennan County |
| 1994 |
Cooper Foundation funded a 3-year grant for $258,375 to implement a intensive pre and post natal program which was later called First Steps |
| Mid 1990's |
Waco National Association for the Education of Young Children |
| 1996 |
McLennan County Childcare Association (MCCA) |
| 1997 |
Childcare Collaboration Meeting, convened by Rapoport Foundation
Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation awarded two grants that totaled over $1 million dollars to fund the Birth through Three Parents as Teachers Programs and five full-day prekindergarten sites |
| 1998 |
Jumpstart Classrooms – Head Start & WISD Collaboration within schools |
| 1999 |
Early Childhood Visioning @ Waco Convention Center - Rapoport Foundation effort Smart Start Coalition is formed from MCCA |
| 2002 |
Start of Early Head Start |
| 2006 |
Inaugural Waco Celebration of the Week of the Young Child |
| 2007 |
Tom & Lou Collins Fund for Early Childhood Development was created as a tribute to Tom Collins as the Waco Foundation Executive Director Texas School Ready Program implemented in Waco |
| 2008 |
First Greater Waco Alliance Annual Education Summit |
| 2009 |
Touchpoints Coalition Formed
Waco Foundation funded $125,000 towards Early Childhood & Quality of Life Study
Second Greater Waco Alliance Annual Education Summit: Preliminary Quality of Life Report presented
Posting of Early Childhood Quality of Life Report on KWBU website
Resurgence of Annual ChildOne Banquet & Waco Foundation funding of the Hatch iSmart Computer to a childcare facility
First ChildOne Calendar - highlighting childcare resources in the Waco Community |
| 2010 |
Third Greater Waco Alliance Annual Education Summit: Quality of Life breakout session – community next steps |
| 2011 |
Waco Foundation funded $45,000 for Talitha Koum Brain Development Symposium
Talitha Koum Brain Symposium
Waco Foundation Board of Trustees elects to hire Director of Early Childhood to follow-up on coordination of early childhood efforts |
Waco is famous for the unprecedented, unmatched way we—at all levels of civic and community engagement—come together to achieve common goals. Increasing the quality of life for our children will be no less of a challenge than the hurdles we have overcome in the past, but no less critical. Our community strongly desires a workforce that is sustainable and a school system in which children come to school ready to learn. We as a community are capable of making these possibilities a reality—and starting with the youngest members of our community makes it possible.
This timeline is a compilation of dates based on records, meeting notes and the oral history of early childhood stakeholders throughout our community. It will continually be added to as more information becomes available. Please contact Ashley Weaver via email for edits and/or additions.