Provide your best estimate of the average hours per week. Child Care Services (CCS) has a work requirement that applies to most families. This means that the parent must work, attend job training, or go to school for a combination of at least an average of 25 hours per week for a single-parent family or a total combined 50 hours per week for a two-parent family.
A child who has a physical or mental condition that makes it hard to do important everyday activities, has a record of a condition, or is thought to have a condition.
Everyday activities include, but are not limited to:
- caring for oneself
- performing manual tasks
- walking
- hearing
- seeing
- speaking
- breathing
- learning
- working
Do you have concerns about your child’s development? You can find more information for children from birth to 36 months or ages 3 to 5.
Please visit 2-1-1 Texas and Early Childhood Texas to find other services in your area. If you have a special situation that the screener doesn’t cover, contact your local board for help.
Some programs may be free, and some may need payment for services. This depends on many factors, such as family size, income, living situation, and others.
Child Care Services (CCS)
Families typically need to pay part of the cost (parent share of cost). To view the parent share of cost chart and a parent share of cost calculator to estimate costs, visit the Child Care Data, Reports & Plans webpage and scroll down to Income Limits and Parents Copays.
Early Head Start
No. Early Head Start is free and paid for by the federal government.
Head Start
No. Head Start is free and paid for by the federal government.
Public Pre-k
A school district may charge tuition for:
- half-day and full-day pre-k classes to children who don’t qualify for free pre-k
- extra half-day pre-k classes to 3-year-old children who do qualify for free pre-k
If a school district charges tuition:
- the price can only be as much as needed to pay for the extra pre-k hours
- the district must ask the commissioner to approve the price every year
You can find out more about Public Pre-k tuition rates on the Texas Education Agency website.
Programs may have waitlists for services. This happens when more families need help than there is money or enough spots for them. Please see below for more information on waitlists for each of the programs.
Child Care Services (CCS)
Local workforce development boards (Boards) administer CCS through local Workforce Solutions offices. Local Boards may have a waitlist for CCS. If there is a waitlist in your area, you should still apply for CCS if you think your family is eligible.
Early Head Start
Early Head Start programs may have a waitlist if there is not enough space. Your local Early Head Start program can give you more information on space and a waiting list.
Head Start
Head Start programs may have a waitlist if there is not enough space. Your local Head Start program can give you more information on space and a waiting list.
Public Pre-k
There is no waitlist for eligible 4-year-olds. By law, a school district must offer pre-k classes if it finds 15 or more eligible children that are 4 years old by September 1 of the current school year.
If a district has a program for eligible 3-year-olds, it may have a waitlist or lottery for 3-year-olds.