What are the Benefits of Texas Child Care Services and Texas Rising Star
Learn where to find information about improving the quality of your child care program and reaching families that receive scholarships to pay for child care
What is the Texas Child Care Services Program?
Through Child Care Services (CCS), child care providers can receive direct reimbursement from TWC to accept children who receive child care scholarships. You would be reimbursed by Workforce Solutions for caring for these children. Learn more about reimbursement rates available to child care providers, at Child Care Rates. The rates have significantly risen over the last year and are higher if you are Texas Rising Star certified.
Note that this program is formerly known as “subsidy” to parents and is now known as “scholarships.”
What are the benefits?
Participating in this program will allow you to reach more families, allow your program to be listed and have referrals made by Workforce Solutions, receive trainings, and serve as a reliable source of income for your program. Signing an agreement with your local Workforce Solutions will not bind you to ultimately accepting children participating in the program, however it will alert the community that you may or could possibly accept CCS.
How do I learn more?
If you would like to learn more or join the CCS program, contact Texas Child Care Solutions. You will then be connected to your local Workforce Solutions office.
What is Texas Rising Star
Texas Rising Star is the state’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. Programs that are Texas Rising Star certified are considered programs that have a commitment to quality care and improvement that exceeds the state’s minimum licensing standards. The Texas Rising Star program offers three levels of quality certification (Two-Star, Three-Star, and Four-Star) to encourage child care and early learning programs to attain progressively higher levels of quality. Texas Rising Star programs must meet some eligibility requirements such as participation in the CCS program. Chances are you are probably already meeting some or all of the Two-Star criteria—maybe even more!
What are the benefits?
There are many benefits to becoming Texas Rising Star, just by achieving certification at the entry Two-Star level, child care programs can improve their practices for the children they serve and access:
- Higher subsidy reimbursement rates (thousands more dollars a year per child)
- Coaching and support to meet Texas Rising Star standards
- Professional development opportunities
- One-on-one mentoring
- Eligibility for financial benefits such as grants, stipends, curriculum, and other materials and equipment
- Free advertisement to parents and the community
Please note that incentives will vary by local Workforce Solutions offices.
How do I learn more?
For more information on Texas Rising Star, please view the program brochure.
Contact your Workforce Solutions office here: Contact Us or visit www.TexasRisingStar.org/getting-ready for more information on applying
Disclaimer
The information contained here has been prepared by Civitas Strategies and is not intended to constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. The Civitas Strategies team has used reasonable efforts in collecting, preparing, and providing this information, but does not guarantee its accuracy, completeness, adequacy, or currency. The publication and distribution of this information are not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, an attorney-client or any other advisory relationship. Reproduction of this information is expressly prohibited. Only noncommercial uses of this work are permitted.
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