By Jess Huff, The Texas Tribune July 10, 2026 Stephen F. Austin State University will phase out its Early Childhood Laboratory over the next few years because the program has become too expensive to maintain. Stephen F. Austin University opened the Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center, also known as the child care lab, in 1975. The program accepts children from 8 weeks to 5 years old. The center, which has five classrooms, focuses …