By Upbring and Texas Mutual
Child wellbeing is a shared responsibility—and businesses have an important role to play.
Government programs remain essential, but public funding cannot meet every need of every family. Corporate support helps Upbring close critical gaps, respond to families based on their needs, and continue strengthening communities.
Texas Mutual’s investment shows how corporate partners can help put that shared responsibility into action.
“The future of child wellbeing requires us to look at the whole picture,” said Michael Loo, President and CEO of Upbring. “If we want to create better outcomes for children, we must consider the conditions surrounding them—the health of their parents, the stability of their families, and the opportunities available within their communities. Government and nonprofits cannot address those conditions alone. The private sector has an important role to play, and partnerships like this show what becomes possible when we bring those strengths together.”
Through its 2026 Working Texans Economic Opportunity Grant program, Texas Mutual is investing more than $4.5 million in 62 nonprofits working to reduce barriers to economic opportunity for working Texans.
Among those investments is a $100,000 statewide grant to Upbring for Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids, an initiative rooted in a fundamental belief: supporting children’s wellbeing also means supporting the parents and caregivers raising them.
“Upbring has the trust of the parents, and so we feel there’s a high opportunity for impact,” said Veronica Martinez, Senior Manager of Impact & Community Partnerships at Texas Mutual. “We know that healthy parents mean their children have more opportunity and there’s more stability in the household. We felt it was an innovative program that we were excited to invest in.”
Closing Gaps Through Partnership
For nearly 150 years, Upbring has seen that supporting children requires looking at the conditions surrounding the whole family. Yet families’ needs rarely fit within the boundaries of a single program or funding source.
Head Start provides comprehensive services focused on children and family development, but parents and caregivers may still face barriers to accessing health care. Through Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids, Upbring will help families explore health coverage, connect with primary care providers, navigate appointments and prescriptions, and address challenges such as transportation and childcare. Upbring will also work with mobile providers to bring physical exams, screenings, and vaccines directly into the communities it serves.
“Government funding has specific requirements, but we’re there with the families, and we know those requirements don’t always cover everything they need,” said William Rice, Grants Manager at Upbring. “Those additional supports are funded Climate by our corporate partners, our donors, and, and our community. Partnerships like the one with Texas Mutual help us connect families with additional support that may otherwise be out of reach.”
An Investment in Texas
When parents and caregivers can care for their own health, they are better positioned to care for their families, participate in the workforce, and pursue opportunities that create greater stability at home.
“They’re able to participate more effectively in work and take advantage of economic opportunities that are available to them,” Martinez said.
The benefits extend beyond individual families. Businesses depend on a strong workforce and healthy communities, giving them both a stake and a role in advancing child wellbeing.
Texas Mutual’s support shows what corporate partnership can make possible, but more partners are needed. By investing in child wellbeing, businesses can help Upbring address needs that traditional funding cannot cover and extend support to the families who need it most—strengthening Texas today and helping change what comes next.
To learn more about Texas Mutual’s community grant programs, visit texasmutual.com.