Child Care Provider Portal

TWC announces Child Care Automated Attendance System ending 3/31/2021–

As of March 31, 2021, the Child Care Automated Attendance System will end.

As of April 1, 2021, parents will no longer need to use an attendance card to report attendance through a POS (Point of Service) device or call in attendance using an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system.

Important Information:

• POS devices should be removed at the close of business on March 31, 2021.
• Parents and caregivers will still follow their child care providers’ sign-in or attendance reporting process.
• CCAA swipe cards can be disposed of and will no longer be necessary as of April 1, 2021.
• Child Care providers will now report a child as absent when the child has 5 days of consecutive absences.
  • Example: A child is absent Thursday and Friday of one week and then again on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the following week. This is equivalent to 5 consecutive absences.
• Each provider report will count toward the child’s 40 absence limit
  • Five consecutive day absences = one provider report
  • Eight provider reports= 40 absence limit
• Child care terminations will still occur when a child has eight provider reports.
• Any questions about POS devices should be directed to Conduent @ (866) 320-8720.

Workforce Solutions Child Care – Client Transfer Policy Effective Immediately

Requirement of  PSOC to be paid in full prior to center transfer:

All PSOC prorated amounts are required to be paid in full and the client must have a $0 balance with their current provider before services can be authorized at a new child care center. Child Care staff will call the center to verify that the client has a $0 balance before the transfer will be authorized.

(Exceptions include transfers in which the provider abruptly requests that the client and child(ren) disenroll and find alternate child care arrangements elsewhere)

Requirement of a two-week notice to transfer providers:

Workforce Solutions North Texas Board is imposing a two-week waiting period before a client is allowed to transfer from one child care provider to another. This policy better aligns with common private-pay practices, and allows for the client to have enough advance notice of the prorated PSOC amount and ample time to pay the provider. During the waiting period, the child’s referral at the original provider shall continue unless the parent requests a suspension.

TWC Work Reinstatement Requirements Effective 11-01-2020

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has reinstated the work requirements for parents receiving benefits.

• The change, following the state’s continued re-opening of businesses, brings TWC’s child care program in line with its mission: to provide improved access to quality child care to enable families to return to work.
• The three-month limitation on receiving child care subsidies if parents are not meeting work or education requirements is being reinstated.
• Extensions of 12-month eligibility periods are ending and once the parent’s current eligibility end date arrives, the case will be either closed if they do not meet the eligibility requirements or the parent will be redetermined for a new 12-month period if eligible.

TWC Approves $106.4 million in additional funding for Child Care Services

On August 20, 2020, The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) approved $106.4 million to assist TWC’s 28 Local Workforce Boards (Boards) and child care providers to address higher child care costs resulting from COVID-19.  The additional funds are split up to address children in care and the enhanced 25% provider bonus payments. TWC allocated $53.8 million in CCDBG CARES Act funds to support the 25% Enhanced Reimbursement Rate through December 2020.  TWC also authorized the use of $19.3 million in CCDBG CARES Act funds in fiscal year 2020 to allow Local Workforce Development Boards (Boards) to address the higher costs of child care that the state has experienced since March.  When schools closed in March TWC began paying for full-time child care for students who were previously receiving part-time, after-school child care.  We expect these higher costs to continue, therefore, TWC approved an additional $33.3 million in CCDBG CARES funds for fiscal year 2021 to help more families work and support the Texas economy.

TWC Child Care Attendance: UPDATE – Reinstatement of Absence Policies ON HOLD

On June 16, 2020, the Texas Workforce Commission took action to reinstate requirements for the parents of children receiving Child Care Services (CCS) to record their child’s daily attendance, to become effective July 20, 2020. Children are generally allowed 40 unexplained absences during a year. However, parents have not been required to record their attendance since mid-March, when the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was first being felt across the state. TWC did not want to penalize parents who were unable to take their children to child care or were unable to record attendance, based on the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Given the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in the state, the Commission revisited this policy on July 14, 2020 and took action to hold reinstatement of the absence policy.

What Providers Need to Do:

• Continue to report weekly attendance data for subsidized children in accordance with your Local Board’s policies.
• If you are ordered to close by a state or local health authority due to COVID, notify your Local Board/CCS offices about your status (in addition to notifying Child Care Licensing).

Please direct questions to your local workforce solutions/CCS office.

Child Care for Essential Workers

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has begun phasing out the emergency program to subsidize childcare for Texas’ essential workers. Subsidies were put in place to assist both essential workers and child care centers during limited enrollment. With Texas re-opening, those essential workers who are already on the subsidized plan will continue to receive child care for the three month period they were initially approved for under this program.

Eff May 12, 2020, Workforce Solutions North Texas is no longer accepting applications for Child Care services for Essential Workers.

Essential workers may also apply at any time for TWC’s regular subsidized child care program for low-income families if they meet eligibility requirements. Click here to apply for child care services https://ntxworksolutions.org/child-care-interest-form/.

Parent Share of Cost (PSOC) for Child Care Reinstated Eff 6/1/2020

In March, TWC commissioners also authorized payments to child care providers to continue even when subsidized children were absent. And effective April 1, TWC waived the Parents’ Share of Cost (PSOC) for At-Risk Child Care. By doing so, TWC effectively paid 100 percent of the cost to providers even while children were absent. This short-term measure was put into place to ensure child care centers continued to receive full reimbursement, as parents would not pay their portion while their children were absent.

Effective June 1, TWC will no longer pay Parent Share of Cost (PSOC) for parents receiving financial assistance . As children return to their centers, parents will resume paying their share of child care costs. 

Please call our office for more information @ 940-723-8774. Please visit the TWC website for more information about childcare.