Workforce Solutions South Plains | Tips on Choosing Child Care

Child Care - Information for Parents - Tips on Choosing Child Care

Child Care Options

Families eligible for child care assistance choose their own child care providers from the available options, using either a Regulated Provider or a Relative Provider. The following information will help you with choosing a child care provider. A Checklist for Choosing a Child Care Facility is also available to help you with this decision.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Child Care Licensing registers or licenses (regulates) three types of child care facilities.

· Registered Child Care Homes provide care for no more than 6 children under the age of 14, plus no more than 6 additional school-age children in the provider’s own home.

· Licensed Child Care Homes provide care for no more than 12 children under the age of 14 in a home setting.

· Licensed Child Care Centers provide care for more than 13 children under the age of 14 in a child care facility.

All of these are required to comply with the Minimum Standards for their type of facility and are subject to regular monitoring by Day Care Licensing.

Texas Rising Star (TRS) Providers have volunteered to meet standards higher than the minimum standards monitored by Day Care Licensing and are indicated by ** on the CCS Provider List. TRS providers have fewer children with each caregiver and lesson plans that include activities to specifically develop large muscle, small muscle, learning/thinking and social skills. Some providers may participate in the TEEM program designed to improve school readiness, early learning and reading skills and are marked with TEEM on the provider list. Some providers may have met national accreditation standards as well.

Providers may further limit the ages of the children they care for. Providers may provide after-school pickup or morning transportation for specific elementary schools. Some providers may not have liability insurance coverage for your child.

Child Care Services Providers are Registered Family Child Care Homes and Licensed Child Care Homes or Centers who have signed provider agreements with Child Care Services.

If you want to use a relative provider or a licensed or registered provider who has not signed a CCS Provider Agreement, you may do so through the Self-Arranged Child Care (SACC) option. The relative must not live with the child (except a teen parent’s child) and must be your child’s grandparent, great-grandparent, aunt or uncle, or adult sibling. Proof of relationship may be required. All SACC providers must be at least 18 years of age. Providers providing child care in their own homes must become Listed Family Homes with TDFPS Day Care Licensing and providers providing care in the children’s homes cannot be on the Department of Public Safety's Sex Offender Registry. Providers must qualify before child care may begin.

Both the parent and the provider in a SACC arrangement must attend an Information Session within 30 days after you inform Child Care Services you want to use a SACC provider.

• Texas Child Care Quarterly

http://www.childcarequarterly.com/

• UT Health Science Center's Children's Learning Institute (State Center)

http://www.childrenslearninginstitute.org/

• Texas Work and Family Clearinghouse

http://www.twc.state.tx.us/svcs/workfamch/cclist.html

• TexCare - Children's Health Insurance

http://www.chipmedicaid.org/

• Child Care Bureau

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccb/

• Administration for Children and Families

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/

• National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies

http://www.naccrra.org/

• National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC)

http://www.nccic.org

To report abuse or neglect of a child, call 911 if the immediate situation is life threatening or call 1-800-252-5400 to reach the Texas Dept. of Family and Protective Services.

Self-Arranged Child Care (SACC)

Self-Arranged Child Care (SACC) is used when the parent’s choice of provider is not a Child Care Services Provider. Child Care Services Providers are licensed centers, licensed child care homes or registered child care homes that have signed provider agreements with Child Care Services.

Eligible Self-Arranged providers are:

A licensed center that is not a Child Care Services Provider,
A licensed child care home that is not a Child Care Services Provider,
A registered child care home that is not a Child Care Services Provider,
The child’s great-grandparent,
The child’s grandparent,
The child’s aunt if at least 18 years of age,
The child’s uncle if at least 18 years of age, or
The child’s sibling if the sibling is at least 18 years of age.
Providers providing child care in their own homes must become Listed Family Homes with TDFPS Day Care Licensing and providers providing care in the children’s homes cannot be on the Department of Public Safety's Sex Offender Registry. Providers must qualify before child care may begin.

Relative child care providers can not live in the same home as the child, unless the child’s parent is a teen.

The Information Session

Detailed information about the SACC process is provided during the Information Session the parent and provider must attend.

Parent and provider must bring picture identification cards (a Texas driver’s license or DPS ID card), Social Security cards (original cards only) and proof of current address (a current bill that shows name and address, letter from TDHS or other government agency, or similar document). You may also need to provide proof of relationship.

The necessary forms for SACC will be discussed and filled out during the Information Session. These include the I. R. S. Form W-9 since the money earned as a SACC provider is income.

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