COVID-19 has impacted working families and the child care programs they rely upon. As the lead state agency for the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), TWC has received several increases to the CCDBG Grant to support child care response and recovery efforts.
More information on the funding allocated to Texas, projects approved, and available balances that remain for future investments is available in this summary: CC Stimulus Funding Categorized (March 2023)
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Child Care Relief Funding 2022
On October 19, 2021, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) approved
distribution of $2.45 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds for direct relief to child care programs. On February 1, 2022, the Commission received an additional $1 billion of COVID-19 stimulus funding to the 2022 CCRF, bringing the total available funds to $3.45 billion. TWC accepted applications for the Child Care Relief Fund 2022 on a rolling basis from mid-March through May 31, 2022.
Learn more on our Child Care Relief Fund 2022 page.
For questions, please reach out to our technical assistance team by emailing CCReliefFunds@Trelliscompany.org or calling 833-613-3192.
Child Care Relief Funding 2022 Status as of January 9, 2023
| Provider Type | Total Providers Invited to Apply | Total Number of Applications | Number of Applications Processed* | Average Award Amount | Total Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed Child Care Center | 9,333 | 7,741 | 7,741 | $378,970 | $2,933,609,880 |
| Licensed Child Care Home | 1,535 | 1,235 | 1,235 | $32,129 | $39,678,803 |
| Registered Child Care Home | 2,573 | 1,835 | 1,835 | $29,121 | $53,437,155 |
| TOTAL | 13,441 | 10,811 | 10,811 | $279,967 | $3,026,725,798 |
2022 Child Care Relief Funds Status by Board
*The total number of applications processed includes all providers that were approved to receive at least one quarterly installment. It excludes providers that did not apply, were ineligible to apply, or started but did not complete an application.
Child Care Expansion Initiative
In February 2022, the Texas Workforce Commission approved $75 million to increase the number of high-quality home- and center-based child care providers for working parents in Texas. Part of this funding will go towards the Child Care Expansion Initiative, to offer start-up funding to help expand the availability of child care in areas of the state that lack sufficient supply (child care deserts); for programs opening or expanding in partnership with a local employer; and, to expand the availability of infant care around the state.Due to the high level of interest with this initiative, the Commission dedicated an additional $75 million in September 2022.
New and existing home- and center-based child care providers who are opening or expanding their child care businesses after March 1, 2022, will be eligible to apply if they will be:
- Serving families in a pre-defined child care desert
; - Operating in partnership with a local company or consortium of companies, to serve children of their employees; and/or
- Expanding availability of care for infants (0-17 months).
Funding can be used to offset operations costs incurred during startup and/or the first few months of opening or expanding. It cannot be used on major renovations or on construction.
Applications opened in August 2022. The deadline for expansion in a child care desert or expanding the availability of infants only was December 31, 2022. The Commission extended the deadline for employer partnership applications to November 30, 2023.
Learn more on our Child Care Expansion Initiative page. This information is also available in Spanish.
Child Care Expansion Initiative Funding and Capacity Increase* as of March 16, 2023:
| Desert | Onsite Partnership | Near site Partnership | Infant | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications Submitted | 231 | 35 | 182 | 462 | 910 |
| Applications Approved | 141 | 23 | 136 | 312 | 612 |
| Total Funding Approved | $31,463,744.00 | $5,664,659.00 | $49,401,340.00 | $23,232,411.00 | $109,762,154.00 |
| Total Funding Paid | $2,481,162.00 | $939,953.00 | $5,849,983.00 | $3,037,504.00 | $12,308,602.00 |
| Child Care Slots (18+ months) Proposed | 7,273 | 1,415 | 8,005 | 1,956 | 18,649 |
| Infant Slots Proposed | 2,182 | 243 | 4,199 | 5,511 | 12,135 |
| Total Child Care Slots Proposed | 9,455 | 1,658 | 12,204 | 7,467 | 30,784 |
*Slots Proposed represent the number of new slots awarded providers expect to add. A provider’s actual number of new slots may vary after they receive their new or updated Child Care Regulation permit.
Child Care Relief Funding 2021
During the summer of 2021, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) made $775 million available for Child Care Relief Funds, plus $15 million to provide child care business coaching. The funds were made available to regulated child care programs across the state (registered homes, licensed homes, and licensed centers). The application window for this round of funding closed on July 31, 2021.
Child Care Relief Funding 2021 Summary (final data):
| Provider Type | Total Providers Invited to Apply | Total Number of Applications | Number of Applications Approved & Processed | Average Award Amount | Total Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed Child Care Center | 8,949 | 6,772 | 6,717 | $83,936 | $563,797,820 |
| Licensed Child Care Home | 1,521 | 1,125 | 1,113 | $6,904 | $7,684,156 |
| Registered Child Care Home | 2,621 | 1,668 | 1,649 | $6,497 | $10,713,480 |
| TOTAL | 13,091 | 9,565 | 9,479 | $61,420 | $582,195,456 |
Child Care Relief Funds Status by Board
You can find more information on the eligibility criteria and allowable uses of the first round of funding at childcare.texas.gov.
Webinar: Relief Funds Updates
In August 2021, TWC’s Child Care & Early Learning Division held a webinar to inform child care programs and stakeholders about the latest 2021 Child Care Relief Funds (CCRF) updates and to provide the opportunity to ask questions about the program. We also shared preliminary information about 2022 CCRF opportunities.
Child Care Business Coaching
Technical assistance and business coaching is now available to assist child care programs in accessing additional funding and documenting expenditures as well as to provide general business education support.
You can access a business coach at childcare.texas.gov or by emailing Coaching@ECEBizCoach.org.
The Texas Workforce Commission collaborated with the Texas Policy Lab at Rice University to understand child care provider participation and satisfaction with their Child Care Business Coaching Program. Below are some key finding from the report.
- Since 2021, 1,965 child care providers have participated in business coaching
- 90% of providers were satisfied with the support they received from their business coach
- 85% of providers said that knowledge and skills gained from coaching improved their ability to successfully operate their business
Click here to read the full report!
If you haven’t tried business coaching yet, there is still time to sign up for free individualized guidance from a trained coach who knows child care businesses.
Resources for Parents
Texas Child Care Availability Portal
A new Texas Child Care Availability Portal allows parents to search for available child care near their home or work, and it displays a map of licensed child care centers, licensed homes, and registered homes. It shows each facility’s operating hours, along with the number of open seats for each age group at the facility. After searching, families will need to contact the child care facility directly to enroll their child.
Parents can find additional information to consider during COVID in the new Texas Child Care Website.
- View this video to learn how to search for available child care through the Child Care Availability Portal
Texas is working hard to ensure the health and safety of all of its citizens. It is important that we all work to practice social distancing and limiting our contacts with others during this time. If you are able to have a family member, relative, or trusted neighbor care for you children in lieu of a child care program, we encourage you to do so. While our childcare facilities will follow the safety guidelines provided by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the Center for Disease Control, the simplest way to avoid Covid-19 is to limit your children’s exposure to others.
Depending on your income and work status, your child may be eligible for a child care scholarship. Contact your Local Board to determine if you qualify and if funds are currently available to support new 12-month scholarships.
Resources for Child Care Programs
Child Care Availability Portal
Many Texans are looking for child care. A new mapping search tool is available to help parents find child care programs in their area: the official statewide Child Care Availability Portal. This website allows parents to search for available child care near their home or work and displays a map of child care options. Parents can search along their commute, by quality rating, by hours of care, and much more. Each program's profile links to their Child Care Regulation safety and health inspection reports and history. After searching, families need to contact the child care facility directly to enroll their child.
Child care programs should complete the Availability Form to indicate the number of child care seats for each age group you currently have available.
Need help logging in? View the Child Care Availability Update Guide (English and Spanish) for easy step-by-step instructions.
As a licensed child care center, when you update your child care program’s information, it is valid for three months; for a child care home provider, the entry is valid for one year. You will receive a reminder to update your child care program's information before that time runs out. However, you can update as frequently as you like, and we hope you will update it as often as possible, so families have accurate information regarding available enrollment. Without an update from your program, the website will show parents "availability unknown" for your program.
Job Matching Services
Child care programs that need to hire staff can use www.WorkInTexas.com to post and fill job openings. See this helpful guide for instructions.
Out-of-work child care teachers can also search and apply for child care jobs at www.WorkInTexas.com. See this helpful guide for instructions.
TWC Shared Work Program
The Shared Work program provides Texas employers with an alternative to layoffs. TWC developed this voluntary program to help Texas employers and employees withstand a slowdown in business.
Shared Work allows employers to:
- Supplement their employees’ wages lost because of reduced work hours with partial unemployment benefits
- Reduce normal weekly work hours for employees in an affected unit by at least 10 percent but not more than 40 percent
Small Business Resources
There are many resources to help your small business during this time of need. Please view these resources for more information:
- Slides and an FAQ from a conference call on April 17, 2020 about small business supports for child care programs
- View these handouts for resources on small business financial assistance and unemployment benefits for your employees
- Best practices when applying for PPP loans
Safe Cleaning for COVID-19 Online Course
Texas Health and Human Services is offering a free online course for Texas child care programs – Safe Cleaning for COVID-19 – worth two clock hours of professional training available. The course reviews how COVID-19 spreads, outlines child care licensing requirements for child care homes along with best practice recommendations for reducing the spread. It also provides education on how to choose safer products and prevent harm to children and staff form chemical exposures while cleaning/disinfecting.
Additional Resources
- Centers for the Disease Control Guidance for Schools and Child Care Programs
- HHSC Child Care Regulations Emergency Rules for Child Care Operations January 2022
- Texas Education Agency (TEA) Meal Finder
- TEA: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Support and Guidance
- Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest disaster loans
- Small Business Administration: Coronavirus (COVID-19): Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources
- Children’s Learning Institute Engage – Teacher Resources for COVID-19
- Instructions for child care providers to post and fill jobs using Work In Texas
- Instructions for child care staff to find jobs using Work In Texas
