Texas Winter Storm Crisis: Facts, FAQs and How to Help

After frigid temperatures and winter weather battered Texas, millions of children and families along the U.S. Southern Border are in need of urgent assistance. 

For newly arrived families living in transit shelters, the situation is life-threatening. Shelters have limited or no power. Some are without water. Hundreds of families, many with young children, are struggling to keep warm and stay healthy.

The historic winter storm has forced more than 4 million people in Texas to go without power, including child care centers and schools. 

Save the Children is right now working in partnership with shelters to meet the urgent needs of the most vulnerable families. We are also helping storm-damaged child care and early learning centers recover. Your support today can help provide life-saving aid. 

FAQs:

How have children and families been impacted by the winter weather crisis in Texas?
How has the winter storm affected children and families living in transit shelters along the U.S. Southern Border?
How has the winter storm affected child care centers and schools across Texas?
How is Save the Children helping children and families living in transit shelters along the U.S. Southern Border impacted by the winter weather crisis in Texas?
How is Save the Children helping child care centers impacted by the winter weather crisis in Texas?

How have children and families been impacted by the winter weather crisis in Texas?

The historic winter storm has forced more than 4 million people in Texas to go without power, causing millions to go without heat, sometimes for several days. The severe winter weather also caused water pipes to freeze and burst across the state, disrupting water service for millions. 

How has the winter storm affected children and families living in transit shelters along the U.S. Southern Border?

“Children in these shelters have already faced arduous journeys to seek asylum and safety, and are now experiencing unprecedented winter conditions that have left them without basic necessities, such as heat and water,” said Jeanne-Aimée De Marrais, Save the Children’s senior director for U.S. emergencies. 

Warm clothing, hygiene supplies and protective supplies needed to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 are desperately needed to protect vulnerable children and families. 

How has the winter storm affected child care centers and schools across Texas?

The harsh winter conditions have damaged child care centers and schools statewide. Many are without power or water, or both.

“In times of emergency, children can begin to cope when they are able to interact with their peers and resume a normal routine," said De Marrais. “That is why it is so important to get these children back into child care or remote learning as safely and as soon as possible. It is essential for them to stay engaged and focused on learning during this stressful time.”

How is Save the Children helping children and families living in transit shelters along the U.S. Southern Border impacted by the winter weather crisis in Texas?

Along the U.S. Southern Border, Save the Children has been supporting more than 40 shelter partners, reaching more than 135,000 children and adults. 

Many of the shelters we support have been impacted by the storm. Our teams are working to deliver critical supplies to migrant shelters across the southern Texas border, from Del Rio to Brownsville, to ensure families have the essentials they need to care for their children.

How is Save the Children helping child care centers impacted by the winter weather crisis in Texas?

With classrooms and child care centers badly damaged due to broken pipes and damaged infrastructure, Save the Children is also focused on child care recovery.