Finding the right place and people to care for your child while you work or go to school is very important decision…and we are here to help!
Workforce Solutions Child Care is a federally funded program that affords some relief from the high cost of quality child care. The Texas Workforce Commission is the state agency that oversees Workforce Solutions Child Care.
Our program offers a network of quality child care facilities throughout the North Texas service area. Our North Texas area includes the following counties:
Baylor
Clay
Foard
Hardeman
Montague
Wichita
Young
Who is Eligible?
Workforce Solutions Child Care customers include parents who live in our 11 county service area and are currently working, participating in a job training program or going to school at least 25 hours/week for a one-parent household or 50 hours/week for a two-parent household.
Eligibility for services is based on:
- Household size (number of parents and children)
- Total Gross monthly income
- Total Hours in school and/or work
When you feel that your family may be eligible, or staff would be happy to help you complete a pre-screening application and discuss placement time-frame. Please call 940-723-8774, or come by our office for more information. Click here to see the Income Guidelines chart.
Once your family is determined eligible and state funding is available, we will conduct a short interview and then your child can begin to attend a quality child care center of your choice at a reduced cost for your family.
Child Care Benefit Card
Once parents are found to be eligible to receive child care benefits at a reduced rate, they are issued a Child Care Benefit Card. This is a very important card as it must be used to check the child in and out of the child care center each day.
The easy-to-use Child Care Benefit Card is designed to ensure accurate record-keeping so that correct rates are charged to the parent and that government funds are appropriately spent. The parent or guardian simply swipes the Benefit Card in and out of the machine as the child is dropped off and picked up each day.
It is important that each parent treat the card as important as a bank card or any other benefit card, keeping it secure and protecting it from loss or misuse. The first card is issued free to the parent; additionally, the second one is free, if lost or stolen. However, there is a charge for any card that needs to be replaced after the second one.
How to Use Your New TWC Child Care Attendance Card
Presenting and swiping the Child Care Benefit Card or Child Care Attendance Card is mandatory for every child, for each day of care.
Each Child Care Provider is issued an attendance tracking system (POS machine), at no cost to them, to allow for easy and accurate records of each child’s attendance.
Child Care Providers
Workforce Solutions Child Care is fortunate to have approximately 100-150 contracted child care providers throughout our 11-county service area. Selecting a quality child care provider is one of the most important decisions for a parent! Child Care may be provided by the individual providers who are licensed or registered with the state licensing agency, or by licensed child care centers. Most importantly – the choice is yours!
A list of contracted providers will be included in your placement package. It designates Child Care Providers who elect to participate in accredited, quality Child Care Programs such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Texas Rising Star, and Texas School Ready! Click here to see the Child Care Providers List.
Before selecting the child care provider, parents are urged to visit the facility to learn first-hand if it is the best program for their child and family. There is nothing better than a “walk through” visit to give you peace of mind that your child will be safe, productive and happy while away from home. Feel free to spend time with the facility Director, asking questions and observing a “play time” to better understand the atmosphere of the Center. A little extra time in making the right, quality selection could save a lot of time and aggravation later. Please don’t base this very important decision just on location…it is important to determine if each center provides the high quality care that you desire for your child.
Please visit www.dfps.state.tx.us for more information on types of child care available. This website will inform you of compliance history, hours of operations, ages served, etc. Additionally, another great resource for choosing the right Child Care facility for your family is www.dontbeinthedark.org.
Resources for Parents
Community Resources
- 211 – Community resources hot line. www.211.org
- Child Care Licensing – A list of all licensed and registered child care facilities in our 11-county region. (325) 691-8232 www.dfps.state.tx.us
- Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) – Offers free services to parents of children who have physical or learning disabilities (ages 0-3) (940) 322-0771 www.ntrehab.org
- Faith Refuge for Women – Job assistance and emergency housing for women and children. www.womenshealth.org
- Inheritance Adoptions – Free diaper closet. (940) 322-3678 www.inheritanceadoptions.org
- InterFaith Ministries – Provides temporary short term assistance with basic financial needs. (940) 322-4673 www.interfaithwf.org
- North Texas Community Health Care Center – Income-based community health center. (940) 766-6306 www.chcwf.com
- Rolling Plains Management Corp. – Energy and Utility Assistance. (940) 723-2261 www.rollingplains.org
- United Way – Various community programs for education and medical needs in the home. (940) 322-8638 www.ntauw.org
- WIC – Special supplemental nutritional programs for Women, Infants and Children. (940) 761-7816 www.fns.usda.gov
- Wichita Falls Area Food Bank – Provides nutrition classes and emergency food supply. (940) 766-2322 www.wfafb.org
- Wichita Falls Housing Authority – Low income housing, Medicaid, CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program). (940) 723-8389 www.wfha.com
- Workforce Solutions North Texas – Job assistance. (940) 322-1801 www.ntxworksolutions.org
Additional Resources
- Don’t be in the Dark – Provides facts to parents about choosing the right child care facility for their family. www.dontbeinthedark.org
- Help for Parents, Hope for Kids – Educates parents on the prevention of child neglect and abuse. Also provides child safety tips. www.helpandhope.org
- Little Texans, Big Futures – Resource for parents regarding early childhood development (0-48 months). www.littletexans.org
- National Center for Learning Disabilities – Helpful information for parents to answer questions and learn more regarding attention and learning disabilities. www.ncld.org
- National Fatherhood Initiative – Provides resources and education for fathers to become a more engaged part of their child’s life. www.fatherhood.org
- Office of the Attorney General – For child support information. (940) 322-2557 www.texasattorneygeneral.gov
- Parent Companion-First Five Years – A guide for Texas parents and caregivers with diagnosed or suspected disabilities from birth through five years. www.parentcompanion.org
- Stay Safe Online – A parent’s resource to protecting online privacy for families and safeguarding children’s online activities. www.staysafeonline.org
- Texas Rising Star – A list of all TRS Certified quality child care providers in our area. www.texasrisingstar.org
- Texas School Ready – A comprehensive preschool teacher training program. http://www.texasschoolready.org
- Texas Workforce Commission Online Parent Portal – Connects Texas parents with up-to-date parenting information, ideas, quality child care and resources. www.texaschildcaresolutions.org
- The Period of Purple Crying – A parent’s guide to better understand your baby’s crying stages. www.purplecrying.info
Texas Rising Star Quality Program
The Texas Rising Star program is a certification process for improving the quality of child care services provided in Texas.
Obtaining this prestigious certification indicates the provider voluntarily meets requirements that exceed the state minimum licensing standards for the following areas:
- Director and Staff Qualifications
- Caregiver and Child Interactions
- High Quality Curriculum
- Nutrition and Indoor/Outdoor Environment
- Parent Education and Parent Involvement
The opportunity to become a TRS Provider is available to all licensed centers and homes and registered child care homes that meet the certification criteria.
For more information visit www.TexasRisingStar.org
Texas Rising Star Providers are awarded two, three and four star ratings (4 stars being the highest) and are assessed annually to determine if higher standards are being maintained.
