Application Guide: Apply
Introduction
Eligibility
Funding
Scoring, Funding, and Reporting
Applying for the Child Care Provider Expansion Initiative
Eligible providers must apply for the Expansion Initiative by completing an online application. Your application will include key information about your child care business and business plan, and will also serve as your agreement to monitoring, reporting, and other statutory requirements. Applications for businesses located within a TWC child care desert and those eligible through increasing infant slots may apply through December 31, 2022. The application deadline for onsite and near-site partnerships is extended to November 30,2023.
Due to the extremely high interest in this initiative, not every application can be reviewed immediately. TWC will continue to regularly monitor the volume of applications to understand interest and need. Applications will be reviewed in a manner to ensure geographic and applicant diversity. Specifically, time will be reserved to review one priority applicant in each eligibility category per Board: desert-based, site-based employer partnerships, and infant-expansion only.
Additional time will be allocated to review remaining eligible applicants in each Board based on that Board's relative number of children under the age of five and relative percentage of Zip Codes that are in a desert. To learn more, see our Initial Applicant Review Process at childcare.texas.gov.
All applications must be submitted by a controlling person for the child care business.
Step 1: Develop your business plan
A key area of the application will be your business plan. The business plan will be scored, and only businesses who ultimately develop viable business plans will be eligible to receive funding. Therefore, we recommend that providers prepare their business plan in advance in a separate location and only enter their responses into the application once they have completed their draft answers. Providers can use the spaces provided in the Developing Your Business Plan Guide and print or download the questions to prepare their answers ahead of time. The business plan will serve as an anchor for your organization and a well-crafted one will serve as a trusty guide as you grow. The plan will also allow you to demonstrate your project’s goals and feasibility to the Initiative.
The concept of expanding or opening a child care business should not be an intimidating one, as long as you have a solid plan in place that includes these several critical questions:
- What are you proposing with this business?
- Why are you embarking on this expansion or choosing to open a new business?
- Where is the expansion or new business taking place?
- Who are the staff needed that will be a key part of successful growth?
- How much will it cost? How will you fund it?
- Who will you serve? How will you find them?
Answering these questions will help you begin your journey on the right track and outline the steps you will take as you move forward.
Complete business plan details will be needed for the application, so it is recommended that you review the business plan questions in the step-by-step guide, Developing Your Business Plan. We recommend having this information handy, and possibly written out already, so that you can readily enter business plan details into your application. If the business plan can be bolstered or refined through coaching, applicants will be offered the opportunity to meet with a coach one-on-one prior to having their plan rescored.
Step 2: Completing the application
Once you have developed your business plan, you must submit the online application, which serves as your application for both available awards (Start-Up Award and Initial Operating Award). Applicants will have the ability to save their applications until they are ready to resume and submit their responses. Applicants will be able to return to their saved answers using the original interest form link. However, for security purposes, providers will need to return using the same device and browser. For this reason, it is helpful to start your application using a word processer or printed version, and then enter your entire application once you are ready.
The application is designed so that you only see questions that are relevant to your business. The responses displayed for you will be based on your responses to certain questions, such as your provider type, whether you are a new or existing provider, and the type of expansion you are conducting. The following portion of this guide will walk you through the sections of the Initiative application and help you understand what information you need as you prepare. If you have questions, please email expansion@civstrat.com.
Child Care Provider Expansion Initiative Application
Eligibility
Here you will indicate if you are increasing capacity at an existing child care business or opening a new child care business, as well as detail the status of your new or modified licensing permit. As a reminder, you do not need to have your new or modified permit at the time of application, however, whether you do or not will impact which awards you are eligible to receive. Also in this section, you will also indicate in which way you are growing your business.
All applicants will be asked the following question:
Are you increasing capacity at an existing child care business or opening a new child care business?
Your response to this question will indicate if you are eligible and if so, what award(s) you may be eligible for.
| Response Options |
Potentially Eligible Expansion Initiative Award(s) | |
| Yes, I am increasing capacity at an existing child care business or opening a new child care business and have not yet received my new or modified permit. | Start-up Award, Initial Operating Award | |
| Yes, I increased capacity at an existing child care business or opened a new child care business and received my new or modified permit on or after March 1, 2022. | Initial Operating Award | |
| Yes, I increased capacity at an existing child care business or opened a new child care business and received my new or modified permit on or before February 28, 2022. | Not qualified – the eligibility date is not met. These slots likely already received CCRF 2022 funding. | |
| No, I am not increasing capacity at an existing child care business or opening a new child care. business and have not yet received my new or modified permit. | Not qualified – expansion criteria is not met. | |
Applicants with an eligible expansion or new business will be directed to the next question:
In which way will you be increasing your licensed capacity or opening a new business? Select all that apply. NOTE: You will be required to submit documentation of your eligibility prior to submitting your application. *see the Child Care Expansion page for more eligibility information.
- I am/will be located within a pre-defined child care desert. (Defined in Texas Labor Code §302.0461 as a pre-determined area of the state where the number of children with working parents under the age of six is three times greater than the licensed child care capacity)
- I am/will be opening or expanding total capacity in partnership with an employer, or consortium of employers, to address the needs of their workforce
- I am/will be opening or expanding capacity to increase availability for infants through new and/or converted slots (ages 0-17 months)
- None of the above
Important – your response to the eligibility questions will determine if your project meets eligibility criteria and if you are able to continue with the application. Please be sure to review your responses carefully. Providers performing conversions to infant slots will select the infant response, and any other criteria that apply to their expansion.
Your response to question 2 will determine the next set of questions for you to validate your expansion type.
Child Care Desert (for expansions located in a child care desert)
Please enter the zip code for the location of your child care business expansion.
This will allow the Initiative to confirm that your expansion is located in a pre-determined child care desert.
Please list the name(s), address(es), and phone number(s) of any employer(s) with whom you have agreed to partner.
Is your child care buiness an onsite or near-site employer partnership? Onsite is defined as located on the employer's premises.
Child care providers operating in partnership with an employer or consortium of employers must hold a signed agreement documenting their partnership. Applicants will also be asked to list if their partnership will be located onsite or near-site.
Providers can convert existing slots to increase their ability to serve more infants. Providers increasing capacity for infant care must adhere to relevant licensing requirements.
Please enter the following information about your new capacity for infant care.
- Number of additional infant classrooms
- Number of additional infant care slots created
Reopening and Change of Ownership
This section will address eligibility for child care businesses that have reopened or changed ownership at the same location.
Please select the situation which best applies to your business
- My business has closed and reopened at the same location within the past year
- My business has changed ownership at the same location within the past year
- None of the above
For new owners of existing programs
Here you will enter information about your purchased child care program including:
- Past and present operation ID numbers (if applicable)
- Program name and address
- Owner and corporate officer information
- 2022 CCRF payment information
For owners of reopened businesses
Here you will enter information about your reopened child care program including:
- Past and present operation ID numbers (if applicable)
- Program name and address
- Closing and reopening date of your child care program
- 2022 CCRF payment information
Demographic Information
All applicants will be asked to submit demographic information for the program’s owner or director, specifically regarding the gender and racial or ethnic designations that best apply.
*Demographic information is required for federal reporting purposes but will not be attributed to you individually and will not affect your application. In all instances, providers will be able to select an option for I prefer not to say, or other options to address how they identify.
Business Plan Section
At this point, you may exit the application and return at a later time using the original application link. Your application responses up to this point will remain saved. When resuming your application, you will need to access the link from the same device and browser for security purposes.
Expansion or Start-Up Information
Here you will enter the contact information for the owner or director (main application contact). You must confirm that your contact information was listed correctly. Incorrect information can results in delays in application processing and funding. You will also be asked to indicate within which Workforce Board Area your child care business is located. If you are unsure you can determine your area by using the Workforce Board Area Tool located at childcare.texas.gov.
Existing Business Information (only for expansions at existing locations)
Next, you will enter information about your existing child care business, if you have one already. Below are the details you will be asked to provide:
Are you currently open and providing care to one or more children? If not currently open, please explain your reason for closure and provide your anticipated reopening date.
Additional program information you will need to enter:
- Date you first received your permit from HHSC CCR
- Your program’s full address
- Your program’s Operation ID (license number)
- Your current and proposed program type
- Current and proposed licensed capacity
- Current and proposed number of children served in each age group
- National Accreditation, if any
- Texas Rising Star rating, if any
- Your business structure
Startup Business Information (only for expansions to new locations)
Here you will enter information about your new location expansion. Below are the details you will need to provide:
- Your business's name, zip code, and county
- The approximate date (month/year) you anticipate applying for a permit with CCR
- The date you plan to open
- If you have secured a location for your business
- Proposed business type (licensed center, licensed home, or registered home)
- Proposed number of children that you intend to serve in each age group
- Is your business already incorporated? If yes, what is the business structure?
The next section will request specific information about your business plan depending on your provider type (home-based vs. center-based) as well as your expansion type (new business vs. existing business). For a detailed walkthrough of the business plan questions, please see the Developing Your Business Plan Guide.
Supporting Documents and Information
There are attachments that will support the information that you provide in your application and business plan. Applicants are encouraged to upload as many of the documents, as they apply to your expansion project. Including the requested documents will help ensure your application is scored properly.
The following documentation will be requested:
b. Business tax returns from last three years
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- For sole proprietors this is your Schedule C in your 1040 tax return.
- If you are not in business currently, please provide your personal returns for the past three years.
c. Contractors’ estimates (if applicable) for building expansion.
- Note these estimates are not covered by award funds but do need to be accounted for in your overall expansion budget
d. Floor plans for your building's expansion, construction, or renovation.
- Note these estimates are not covered by award funds but do need to be accounted for in your overall expansion budget
f. Proof of eligibility for funding (please supply all that apply)
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- Child Care Desert: Proof of location address (utility bill, rental agreement, deed or mortgage)
- Employer Partnership: Written agreement outlining opening or expansion in partnership with an employer or consortium of employers (Include time period covered in agreement, number of slots offered to employee children, age range of these slots, how the slots will be offered to employees).
- Increasing Infant Care: Signed Infant Capacity Increase Attestation (signed statement listing the number of infant care slots to be added, steps required to meet licensing requirements for this addition, and a timeline of how/when steps will be completed). For support, see our Infant Capacity Increase Attestation.
h. 12-month cash-flow (if you need a cash flow template, one is available here)
Credit History and Report (all providers will complete)
As part of the application process, applicants will need to agree to a check of consumer credit history and reports as well as business credit history and reports, if applicable. This information may be shared with Texas Workforce Commission as needed for the purposes of reviewing your application packet.
You will be asked to provide information on the applicant and business necessary to perform the credit history check, including a Social Security Number (SSN).
Submitting your application
Prior to submitting your application, you will need to review, and agree to, the credit check authorization, certifications, and application terms and conditions. Please read through each item carefully and indicate your agreement where noted.
Remember, you can work through the application and press submit once you are ready to submit. You can leave and return to your application however when resuming your application, you will need to access the original application link from the same device and browser for security purposes.
Once you have completed your application, you will see several sections summarizing your responses, including general information, business plan responses, and authorizations, certifications, and terms and conditions. Please print out each summary section for your records from your browser window.