Resources for Child Care Providers

The information below explains how to become a CCS provider as well as additional resources available to providers.

BECOMING A CCS PROVIDER

Requirements for becoming a Provider on Agreement or a Relative Provider through Workforce Solutions of the Concho Valley are listed below:

NOTE: A licensed child care center, licensed child care home or a registered child care home that wants to be a CCS provider must be aware they will initially come into the program as a "Texas Rising Star Entry Level" provider.  The expectation is that the CCS provider will actively move toward being certified as a Texas Rising Star Two-Star, Three-Star, or Four-Star provider within a specified time frame provided by CCS.  (more information provided below)

Requirements to Become a Provider on Agreement

Eligibility Requirements

  • The provider must be a regulated child care as defined below:
    • licensed by Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS);
    • registered with DFPS;
    • operated and monitored by the United States military services.
  • The provider cannot currently be on Corrective or Adverse Action with Child Care Licensing;
  • The provider or any staff member cannot be in serious non-compliance, seriously deficient by, or debarred from either state or federal programs such as the child food and nutrition program;

    The provider agrees to accept the maximum reimbursement rates paid by Workforce Solutions of the Concho Valley Child Care Services, unless the provider rate is lower;

    The provider agrees to maintain documentation on CCS subsidized children for 3 years and 3 months as required by federal law.

Requirements to Become a Relative Provider with Child Care Services (CCS)

Eligibility Requirements

  • The relative must be related to the child/ren by blood, marriage or court decree;
  • The relative must be related in one of the following ways:
    • The child's grandparent;
    • The child's great-grandparent;
    • The child's aunt or uncle; or
    • The child's adult sibling (18 years or older and maintaining a separate residence);
  • The parent and relative provider can not live in the same home (some exceptions apply)
  • The relative provider must become a listed provider with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Child Care Licensing and sign a Provider Agreement before being paid to provide child care in the relative's home;
  • The relative provider cannot provide care for the child/children in the child's home unless one of the following applies:
    • The child has a disability that makes it difficult to take the child outside his/her home;
    • The child is under 18 months old;
    • The child is a child of a teen parent;
    • The parent's work schedule requires evening, overnight, or weekend child care in which taking the child outside of the child's home would be disruptive to the child;
    • Other child care provider arrangements are not available in the community.

Steps to Become a CCS Provider

  1. Gather the following documentation
    • A copy of your license or permit from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the Texas Department of State Health Services or United States military;
    • A copy of the rates you charge for child care for all age groups for which you provide services.
    • A copy of your parent handbook or information packet given to parents.
  2. Contact CCS 800-996-7589 and set up a time to meet with CCS staff to review requirements and gather additional information about your facility/home.
  3. Once all documentation has been provided, CCS Staff will set up a time to meet with you at your facility/home review CCS policies and sign provider paperwork.
  4. If you are interested in having an eligible relative receive payment for providing childcare to your child or children, please contact your client service specialist.

Provider on Agreement Programs

The following types of programs are for Child Care providers who are interested in improving the quality of their services:

Texas Rising Star Providers

A Texas Rising Star (TRS) Provider is a child care provider that has an agreement with a Local Workforce Development Board's (Board's) child care contractor to serve Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)- children on scholarship and that meets requirements that exceed the State's Minimum Child Care Licensing (CCL) Standards. All providers that have an agreement with the child care contractor are considered "TRS Entry Level" providers until they have been completed the official certification process.  Providers on agreement include Licensed Centers, and Licensed and Registered Child Care Home providers. 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. Texas Rising Star

National Accredited Provider Information

The following TWC-approved, nationally accredited organizations list nationally accredited providers in Texas on their websites:

Professional Development for Child Care Providers Caring for Children with Special Needs

Online courses and other resources are available to help child care providers learn about best practices in inclusive child care. The online courses and resources are developed and produced by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service of the Texas A&M University System in cooperation with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Child Care Licensing Division, using funds provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and by the Texas Workforce Commission.

Professional Development Training for Providers Caring for Infants and Toddler with Special Needs has online courses covering a variety of inclusive child care topics. All courses are free of charge.

Inclusive Child Care Get Started Kits for Infant and Toddler Caregivers contains tip-sheets, checklists, multi-media resources and more. Materials can be downloaded and printed at your convenience.

The TWC web site links to these resources from: Child Care Services.