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Parents and Child Care Scholarships
Childcare-related matters can and often do affect the daily routine of parents in the workplace. Finding a way to pay for childcare so that parents can keep their jobs or train for better jobs, is a constant challenge for many working families. Workforce Solutions provides childcare scholarshipsfor parents who are looking for work, working, and/or going to school.
Parents applying for child care scholarship for their children (up to age 19 if they have a disability) may be added to a waiting list, if funds are limited.
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When applying for child care aid, you will need the following information:
Are you experiencing homelessness? If so, please reach out to us directly.
Homelessness is defined as children who lack a nighttime residence that is fixed (stationary, permanent, and not subject to change), regular (consistent), and adequate by sufficiently meeting both the physical and psychological needs commonly met in home environments.
Including children who:
- are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason;
- are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations;
- are living in emergency or transitional shelters;
- are abandoned in hospitals;
- Have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
- are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
- Are migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are living in the circumstances described above.
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Financial Aid Support Center Contact Information: |
Need more help with navigating the online process? Watch the video or contact the Support Center. |
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Find the right option for you and your family!
Workforce Solutions Early Education Service Provider is available to help find quality child care options. Search online or call 713-500-3725 for assistance. Our Early Education Service Provider’s team offers complimentary phone consultations, child care referrals and guides parents to a wide array of appropriate resources. The Texas Department of Health and Human Services site offers information on Child Care Licensing, Standards & Regulations.
Texas Rising Star
The Texas Rising Star program is a quality-based child care rating system of child care providers participating in the Texas Workforce Commission’s child care scholarship program. The TRS Provider certification system offers three levels of certification (Two-Star, Three-Star, and Four-Star) to encourage providers to attain progressively higher certification requirements leading to a Four-Star level. You can find more information at https://texasrisingstar.org/ or Texas Child Care Solutions
Parents who qualify will be asked to select the provider of their choice who best meets the needs of their family on a space available basis. When possible, choose a provider who meets quality child care standards.
Choosing a high-quality program can have a significant impact on your child’s readiness for success in kindergarten and later grades. Texas Government Code §2308.3171 defines a “quality child care indicator” as any appropriate indicator of quality services, including if the provider is:
- A Texas Rising Star (TRS) certified provider;
- Accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting organization approved by the Texas Workforce Commission;
- Kindergarten Readiness System certified; or Participating in the Texas School Ready! Project.
The Texas School Ready! (TSR!) critical instructional components of TSR! include: research-based curriculum, ongoing professional development through classroom mentoring, and progress monitoring of children through personal digital assistant devices.
Low-Income Child Care
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Parents may be eligible for 12 months of subsidized child care assistance, if your
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Initial Job Search Child Care
If underemployed and/or unemployed, parents may be eligible for an initial 3 months of child care eligibility while searching for full-time employment. Parents must self-attest their need for job search child care and that their family income is at or below 85 percent SMI (see
income guidelines).
At the end of the initial 3 months of eligibility, if the family still does not meet minimum employment activity requirements, care will be
terminated. If the family does not exceed income guidelines AND meets the minimum employment participation requirements (as listed below)
within 3 months of initial eligibility, eligibility will continue for a total of 12 months, inclusive of the 3-month initial job search period.
- 25 hours per week for a single-parent family, in which at least 12 hours are in employment or
- 50 hours combined per week for a two-parent family, in which at least 25 combined hours are in employment
Reporting Changes
Qualifications for child care services are based on a family’s income, size and work/training hours. Therefore, parents are required to report any change in their family circumstances, which affect their eligibility, to CCS within 14 days. Changes that must be reported include:
Permanent loss or change of employment, education or job training. Change in income which placed family over 85% SMI. Change in residence/phone number/contact information.
Texas Child Care Connection Attendance System
The new Texas Workforce Commission’s Child Care Connection (TX3C) Attendance System went live May 17, 2023. The system is used by both parents and providers.
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Support Center Contact Information: Workforce Solutions-Financial Aid Support Center |
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