# Senate District 7 — Paul Bettencourt

## Executive narrative

Working-parent children per current authorized slot is near the chamber median (1.24 vs 1.51). Share of children under six outside the working-parent denominator is materially below the chamber median (15.5% vs 20.8%). HHSC nighttime-window authorized-capacity share is materially above the chamber median (5.5% vs 3.2%). Workers leaving home before 6 a.m. (ACS B08302) is near the chamber median (15.0% vs 15.2%). Resident-worker outbound share (LODES) is near the chamber median (94.5% vs 91.3%).

## Childcare demand and supply

- Children under 6 (ZIP-area-weighted estimate): 77,179
- Working-parent children under 6: 65,208
- Current qualifying authorized capacity: 52,523
- Working-parent children per current slot: 1.24
- Children outside the working-parent denominator: 15.5%

## Nighttime / nontraditional-hours context

- HHSC nighttime-window operations (ZIP-area-weighted estimate): 36
- HHSC nighttime-window capacity share: 5.5%
- Workers leaving home before 5 a.m. (ACS B08302): 5.0%
- Workers leaving home before 6 a.m. (ACS B08302): 15.0%

## Workforce geography

- Resident primary jobs (LODES): 430,549
- Workplace primary jobs (LODES): 393,624
- Jobs-to-resident-worker ratio (LODES): 0.91
- Resident-worker outbound share (LODES): 94.5%

## Methodology

Texas/TWC-compatible childcare desert measures and the HHSC 9 p.m.-6 a.m. nighttime-care window remain the governing Texas standards. ACS B08302 and LODES are supplemental context only.

District values are ZIP-boundary-area-weighted legislative estimates. The ZIP-level matrix remains the direct geographic evidence layer. Authorized capacity is not the same thing as vacancies or currently available seats.