Home-Based Child Care, Halloween Eye Safety, Immigration and Early Childhood Education

On this episode, Bri Derry and Natalie Gonzalez (CHILDREN AT RISK), explore the challenges facing child care providers, Halloween eye safety, and how immigration policy affects young children and families. Home-Based Child Care: Mieko Carter, home-based child care provider and advocate with the National Association for Family Child Care, discusses the vital role home-based programs play in supporting families, the financial and operational challenges providers face, and how child care closures affect families’ access to care. Halloween Eye Safety: Dr. Stephanie Handal, pediatric optometrist at UTHealth Houston, explains the risks of decorative contact lenses and other costume-related eye hazards. Immigration Policy & Early Childhood Education: Priya Pandey, Policy Analyst at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), examines how immigration policies can affect immigrant families’ access to Head Start, child care assistance, and other early learning services. Plus, Data of the Day with Sarosh Nandwani, highlighting a 75% decrease in the number of parents and children held at the Dilley detention facility from January to February 2026. Tune in every Wednesday from 9–10 a.m. on 90.1 KPFT Houston, and listen to new podcast episodes each Thursday morning!