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