The Texas 2026- 2027 Sunset Review Cycle – a periodic performance checkup of state government – gives us a rare opportunity to look at our state agencies and ask: How can we make this work better for families?
This year, the spotlight is on departments that touch family life most: from healthcare and early childhood supports at Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and Department of State Health Services (DSHS), to the workforce and childcare resources at Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), and the critical systems of Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD). TexProtects has spent the last few months gathering expertise from across the state to draft a set of recommendations that move us away from reacting to crises and toward building community resilience.
Our Vision for a More Connected Texas
We are advocating for a system that eliminates barriers and builds connections with Sunset recommendations that focus on:
- Strengthening Texas Families and Connecting Them to Resources – Moving from silos to a no-wrong-door system.
- Cross-Agency Coordination – Ensuring state departments talk to one another to reduce red tape.
- Children’s Mental Health – Shifting from reactive actions to proactive, early-childhood support.
Why This Matters Now
When we streamline our systems, we empower families to stay stable and secure. We are looking beyond agency efficiency to ensure that every Texas child grows up in a community that is equipped to help them flourish.
Read our full Sunset recommendations here.
Want to dig deeper? Learn more about the Sunset process here. You can also check out additional Sunset recommendations from the Texas Prenatal-to-Three Collaborative here.