OST CARES Grant

The OST CARES program, funded by the Texas Education Agency, aims to enhance mental health support in out-of-school time (OST) settings across Texas. This initiative will implement vital mental health programs through the Texas Partnership for Out of School Time (TXPOST) while also establishing a robust statewide infrastructure to support OST programs and professionals. The focus is on improving educational outcomes and ensuring the well-being of students in community settings.

Texas Education Agency
The Texas Education Agency is the state agency that oversees primary and secondary public education. It is headed by the commissioner of education. The Texas Education Agency improves outcomes for all public school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) administers federal and state grant awards to its subgrantees to carry out a program. Such entities include primarily school systems (referred to as local educational agencies [LEAs] in statutes), including independent school districts and charter schools; education service centers (ESCs); and, to a lesser degree, institutions of higher education (IHEs), nonprofit organizations (NPOs), and other statutorily allowable organizations.
Program Description
This project is to fund the Texas Partnership for Out of School Time (TXPOST) to implement mental health programs in community-based out of school time (OST) and statewide intermediary infrastructure to support OST programs and professionals.