This post is a part of our series on Texas family child care licensing. For more on licensing in Texas, see the following posts:
Texas Family Child Care Licensing: An Overview
Types of Licenses
The Licensing Process
Training Requirements
Home Requirements
The requirements to become a provider of a family child care in Texas depend on what type of program you plan to run: a listed, registered, or licensed one. The differences in eligibility requirements are summarized in the figure below:
Source: DFPS Qualifications and Requirements for Child Care Home Types
Primary caregiver qualifications for a Registered Child Care Home
- Be at least 21 years old;
- Have a high school diploma or high school equivalent;
- Have a certificate of completion of the Licensing pre-application course within one year prior to your application date;
- Meeting the requirements relating to Background Checks;
- Have a current certification in CPR and first aid with rescue breathing and choking;
- Have a current record of tuberculosis (TB) examination showing you are free of contagious TB, if required by the Texas Department of State Health Services or local health authority; and
- Have proof of training in the following:
- Recognizing and preventing shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma;
- Understanding and using safe sleep practices and preventing sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS);
- Understanding early childhood brain development;
- Emergency preparedness;
- Preventing and controlling the spread of communicable diseases, including immunizations;
- Administering medication, if applicable
- Preventing and responding to emergencies due to food or an allergic reaction;
- Understanding building and physical premises safety, including identification and protection from hazards that can cause bodily injury such as electric hazards, bodies of water, and vehicular traffic;
- Handling, storing, and disposing of hazardous materials
- Precautions in transporting children if your child-care home plans to transport a child whose chronological or developmental age is younger than nine years old.
For more details on education and experience eligibility to become the primary caregiver in a family child care in Texas, see Texas DFPS: Minimum Standards for Child-Care Homes pages 29 – 40.
Primary caregiver qualifications for a Licensed Child Care Home
The primary caregiver of a licensed child care home must meet the following qualifications:
- Be at least 21 years of age;
- Have a high school diploma or high school equivalent;
- Have a certificate of completion of the licensing Pre-Application Course within one year prior to your application date;
- Meet the requirements relating to Background Checks
- Have a current certification in CPR and first aid with rescue breathing and choking
- Have a current record of tuberculosis (TB) examination showing you are free of contagious TB, if required by the Texas Department of State Health Services or local health authority;
- Have a proof of training in the following:
- Recognizing and preventing shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma;
- Understanding and using safe sleep practices and preventing sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS);
- Understanding early childhood brain development;
- Emergency preparedness;
- Preventing and controlling the spread of communicable diseases, including immunizations;
- Administering medication, if applicable
- Preventing and responding to emergencies due to food or an allergic reaction;
- Understanding building and physical premises safety, including identification and protection from hazards that can cause bodily injury such as electric hazards, bodies of water, and vehicular traffic;
- Handling, storing, and disposing of hazardous materials
- Precautions in transporting children if your child-care home plans to transport a child whose chronological or developmental age is younger than nine years old.
- Have one of the following combinations of education and experience:
- A
- A bachelor’s degree with 12 college credit hours in child development and three college credit hours in management
- and at least one year of experience in a licensed child-care center or licensed or registered child-care home;
- B
- An associate’s of applied science degree in child development or a closely related field with six college credit hours in child development and three college credit hours in management. A “closely related field” is any educational instruction pertaining to the growth, development, physical or mental care, or education of children ages birth through 13 years,
- and at least one year of experience in a licensed child-care center or licensed or registered child-care home;
- C
- Sixty college credit hours with six college credit hours in child development and three college credit hours in management,
- and at least one year of experience in a licensed child-care center or licensed or registered child-care home;
- D
- A Child Development Associate credential or Certified Child-Care Professional credential with three college credit hours in management,
- and at least one year of experience in a licensed child-care center or licensed or registered child-care home;
- E
- A child-care administrator’s certificate from a community college with at least 15 college credit hours in child development and three college credit hours in management,
- and at least two years of experience in a licensed child-care center or licensed or registered child-care home;
- F
- A day-care administrator’s credential issued by a professional organization or an educational institution and approved by Licensing based on criteria specified relating to Day-Care Administrator’s Credential Program
- and at least two years of experience in a licensed child-care center or licensed or registered child-care home; or
- G
- Seventy-two clock hours of training in child development and 30 clock hours in management,
- and at least three years of experience in a licensed child-care center or licensed or registered child-care home
For more details on education and experience eligibility to become the primary caregiver in a family child care in Texas, see Texas DFPS: Minimum Standards for Child-Care Homes pages 29 – 40.
Eligibility criteria for assistant and substitute caregivers
An assistant must
- Be 18 years old;
- Have a high school diploma or high school equivalent;
- Complete orientation to your home;
- Meet the Background Checks requirements
- Have a current record of a tuberculosis (TB) examination showing the caregiver is free of contagious TB, if required by the Texas Department of State Health Services or local health authority;
- Complete a notarized Licensing Affidavit for Applicants for Employment form; and
- Be trained in CPR and first aid with rescue breathing and choking.
A substitute must
- Be 18 years old;
- Have a high school diploma or high school equivalent;
- Complete orientation to your home;
- Meet the Background Checks requirements
- Have a current record of a tuberculosis (TB) examination showing the caregiver is free of contagious TB, if required by the Texas Department of State Health Services or local health authority;
- Complete a notarized Licensing Affidavit for Applicants for Employment form
This post is a part of our series on Texas family child care licensing. For more on licensing in Texas, see the following posts:
Texas Family Child Care Licensing: An Overview
Types of Licenses
The Licensing Process
Training Requirements
Home Requirements
