A New Children at Risk Report Highlights Poverty, Food Insecurity and Education Challenges Facing Thousands of Children Across San Antonio
A $1.5 billion stadium project approved by San Antonio voters promises new economic development and tourism for downtown.
But in many neighborhoods across the West Side, South Side and sections of the East Side, thousands of children are growing up in poverty, struggling with food insecurity and entering school without the resources needed to succeed, according to a new report from research and advocacy nonprofit Children At Risk.
Together, the two developments highlight what some advocates describe as a tale of two San Antonios.
According to the “Children’s Health Initiative: Bexar County Report,” released February 26, nearly one in five San Antonio children lives in poverty and experience food insecurity, while about half of children in the San Antonio area are considered ready for kindergarten.
For educators, health experts and community organizations working with families, those numbers highlight challenges that could shape the city’s future.
“There’s high levels of kids that are growing up in low-income families,” said Robert Sanborn, president and CEO of Children At Risk. “And that always presents the biggest challenge when you look at their futures.”
Starting School Already Behind
One of the report’s most concerning findings involves how many children enter school without the skills educators say are necessary to succeed.
Only 49 percent of children in the San Antonio area are considered ready for kindergarten, a measure that includes early literacy, communication skills, emotional readiness and social development.
Education experts say children who start school behind their peers often struggle to catch up academically.
Access to early childhood education programs, including preschool and childcare, is widely seen as one of the most effective ways to prepare children for school.
When Hunger Enters the Classroom
The report also highlights food insecurity as a major issue affecting families across the region. Programs designed to address hunger already play a significant role in supporting families across the region.
About 21 percent of households with children in Bexar County receive SNAP benefits, according to the report, while the San Antonio Food Bank distributes food and resources to more than 105,000 residents each week, underscoring the scale of need and the reliance many families have on assistance programs.
Carmen Valdez, associate dean of research and partnership at the UTHealth School of Public Health in San Antonio, said nutrition plays an important role in children’s development.
“There’s a much larger number of people who may not be food insecure but are not getting the proper nutrition,” Valdez said.
Health experts say poor nutrition can affect concentration, physical development and long-term health.
The Support Schools Don’t Have
The report also points to limited mental-health resources available to students in Bexar County schools. One in five children, over 80,000, in Bexar County are expected to experience a mental health condition in their lifetime.
Local schools average one counselor for every 425 students, significantly higher than the recommended national standard of about one counselor per 250 students.
Educators say counselors are critical in helping children manage stress, trauma and family instability that may affect academic performance.
What Teachers Are Seeing
Educators and nonprofit leaders note that the numbers in the report reflect realities they encounter every day.
A San Antonio elementary educator said many children arrive at school already facing pressures outside the classroom.
“When families are dealing with housing issues or food insecurity, children carry that stress with them into the classroom,” the educator said.
Advocates say these patterns reflect long standing structural inequities that continue to shape outcomes for children.
Where the City Is Investing
The Children At Risk report arrives at a time when San Antonio voters recently approved a ballot measure tied to a $1.5 billion stadium project intended to attract tourism and economic development.
Business leaders, tourism groups and several elected officials promoted the stadium as a long-term investment in the city’s economy.
The measure passed by a narrow margin, with just over 50 percent of voters supporting the plan after months of campaigning and public debate. Much of that support came from higher income areas across the county, while lower income areas including parts of the East Side, where some of the development is expected to occur, largely voted against the proposal.
At the same time, community organizations working with children say the challenges highlighted in the report rarely receive the same level of attention.
Mary Garr, president and CEO of Family Service San Antonio, said many of the struggles facing children stem from deeper economic pressures.
“Those are symptoms, not root causes,” Garr said.
“When Children Succeed, Communities Succeed”
Improving outcomes for children will require long-term investments in early childhood education, nutrition programs and family support services.
With more than 500,000 children living in Bexar County, advocates say the future of the city will depend largely on how well it supports its youngest residents.
Expanding access to affordable childcare and early education programs is one strategy frequently cited by educators and policymakers.
“When children succeed,” Sanborn said, “communities succeed.”
