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To be eligible for the child care program, families must be within the income guidelines and be working, in school, or in training a minimum of 25 hours per week. The family must reside in one of the fourteen counties in the Workforce Solutions East Texas area: Anderson, Camp, Cherokee, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Marion, Panola, Rains, Rusk, Smith, Upshur, Van Zandt or Wood counties.

To determine if you are eligible, call (800) 676-8283 or (903) 581-0381. An initial screening will be conducted over the phone. If it appears you may be eligible for the program, you will need to complete an eligibility packet and provide the required documentation of work/training participation and income to fully determine your eligibility.

Choosing Child Care Arrangements

The child care program is based on the parent’s choices and needs. Parents have the option to select a regulated provider or a relative provider.  A regulated child care provider may be a Texas Early Education Model (TEEM) provider – The State Center at University of Texas Health Science Center designed the Texas Early Education Model. TEEM encourages school readiness programs to share certified teachers and to integrate facility space; professional development; and funding from Child Care, Head Start, and prekindergarten sources.

A relative provider must not be living in the same home as the child and must be a grandparent, great-grandparent, aunt, uncle or sibling of the child who is over 18 years of age. A person appearing on the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Sex Offender Registry is not eligible to be a relative provider. An eligible relative provider must be listed with Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS).

The parent’s share of cost for child care is a percentage of the parent’s gross monthly income. Workforce Solutions has a maximum daily reimbursement rate to pay the provider. In addition to the parent share of cost, some regulated providers may choose to have the parent pay the difference in the maximum reimbursement rate Workforce Solutions pays and the provider’s published rate. Texas Rising Star Providers are not allowed to charge the parents the difference between the maximum reimbursement rate and the provider’s published rate. Effective June 1, 2007, no providers may charge the difference to parents participating in the Choices program, the Food Stamp Employment & Training program, parents in protective care, or parents who have a zero ($0) income.

To assist you in finding a regulated provider, you will find a list of all regulated providers on the website for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Another referral source for regulated provider care is to call 2-1-1 (toll free) to speak with a child care resource and referral representative. If using a cell phone, dial (361) 882-4636 for 2-1-1 services.

Choosing the right child care provider for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make. Trying to find child care can be a very difficult task. You want your child to be happy and, most importantly, safe. The following check list may help you in choosing the child care facility that best fits your needs.