TWCChild Care Services

Program Structure

» The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is the Lead Agency for the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)

» TWC delegates the administration of workforce services and contracts with each of the state’s 28 Workforce Development Boards (Boards) to administer CCDF-funded child care services.

» State law prohibits Boards from directly delivering services. Therefore, Boards competitively procure child care contractors to provide child care services.

Program Structure

Contractors perform the following services:» determine eligibility for CCDF services; » provide information to assist parents in making

informed choices related to their children’s care; » authorize child care subsidies with the provider

each parent chooses; » Reimburse child care providers; and» implement services to improve the quality and

availability of child care.

Performance

Targets and actual performance for State Fiscal

*

Choices Non-Choices Combined

SFY 14 Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual

Average Children Per Day 7,351 5,533 92,401 96,471 99,752 102,004

SFY 15 Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual

Average Children Per Day 7,471

90,670

98,141

Subsidized Child Care in Texas

Number of kids by age group

» Infants/ 0 – 17 mo. ( 10.56% of children in subsidized care)

» Toddler/ 18 – 35 mo. (18.44% of children in subsidized care)

» Preschool/ 36 - 71 mo. (36.84% of children in subsidized care)

» School-age/ 72 mo. - 12 yrs. (34.16% of children in subsidized care)

Subsidized Child Care in Texas

Percent of providers participating» 13% of regulated child care slots are filled by TWC-

subsidized children » 40% of ALL regulated child care facilities serve at

least 1 TWC-subsidized child;˃ 63% of all child care centers;˃ 23% of all licensed child care homes; and˃ 20% of all registered child care homes.

Quality Initiatives

In SFY 2014, the Commission approved $11.2 million for eight statewide quality initiatives:

» TRS Mentors and Assessors ($3.6 million) » TRS Implementation ($600,000) » Inclusion Training and TA to providers ($1.5 million) » Child Care Professional Career Pathways—integrating Fast Start

and Adult Education and Literacy programs ($2 million) » Child Care Incentive and Quality Award Conference ($400,000) » Pilots of individualized instruction and assessment tools ($2

million) » Parent Portal ($100,000) » Funding for providers serving military communities ($1 million)

Texas Rising Star

» Texas Rising Star (TRS) Provider• Providers voluntarily exceed licensing

requirements• Tiered Reimbursements for Subsidized Children

» Approximately 1,150 child care providers or 17% percent of facilities providing subsidized child care are TRS certified

» FFY 2014 29.52% of children served in TRS

HB376

House Bill 376 enacted by 83rd Legislature

Tiered Reimbursement Rates for TRS Certified Providers

2% of Child Care Allocation for Quality Activities ($9.4 million)

Funding for TRS Mentors and Assessors TRS Workgroup to Review TRS Criteria TWC Develop Rules and Guidelines Based on TRS

Workgroup Recommendations

Texas Rising Star

TRS Categories (Rule 809.130)• Director and Caregiver Qualifications and

Training• Caregiver-Child Interactions• Curriculum• Nutrition and Indoor/Outdoor Activities• Parent Involvement and Education

Texas Rising Star

Implementation timeline

» March 2015: conduct statewide training for TRS assessors and mentors on new TRS program rules and TRS Guidelines

» April-August 2015: conduct assessments of current TRS

» September 1, 2015: New tiered rates for TRS Providers are effective.

Reauthorization

First reauthorization since 1996; Provisions include

» HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILD CARE PROVIDERS

» TRANSPARENT CONSUMER AND PROVIDER EDUCATION INFORMATION

» FAMILY-FRIENDLY ELIGIBILITY POLICIES » ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF CHILD

CARE

FY2015 Quality Initiatives

In SFY 2015, the Commission approved:» $1.5 million to improve access to infant and

toddler care, and » $6.4 million to assist child care providers in

improving the quality of care and achieving TRS certification or attaining a higher TRS certification level.

Thank you

Patricia A. GonzalezDirector, Technical Assistance and Child Care

Texas Workforce Commission