Workforce Solutions Golden Crescent administers Child Care Services (CCS) funding to a region, including Calhoun, DeWitt, Goliad, Gonzales, Jackson, Lavaca, and Victoria counties. CCS helps parents pay for child care while they work, go to school or participate in job training to become self-sufficient. Those eligible for child care assistance include:
General Program Information
Parents who receive CCS assistance are required to pay a portion of their cost of care, with the exception of those parents who are participating in Choices or who are in Choices child care, parents who are participating in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) services or who are in SNAP E&T child care, parents of a child receiving child care for children experiencing homelessness, and parents who have children who are receiving protective services child care unless the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) assesses the parent share of cost. The parent’s share of cost will be based on a Sliding Fee Scale. Families must be working or in school or training for a minimum of 25 hours per week for a single parent household and 50 hours for a two parent household with each parent working 25 hours in order to be eligible for services. Additionally, families must meet income requirements located on the Sliding Fee Scale to be eligible for service.
Job Search Child Care Available
New families who apply for child care financial assistance may qualify for Initial Job Search Child Care if the parent(s) do not meet the minimum participation requirements for At-Risk child care eligibility, but meet all other eligibility requirements. Families will qualify for three months of child care services with no co-pay while searching for work that will meet minimum employment activity requirements - 25 hours per week for a single parent household or a combined 50 hours for a dual-parent household. If parents meet employment participation requirements within three months, eligibility will continue for a total of 12 months. This includes the three-months of the initial job search period. Once work requirements are met, co-pays are instated.
Initial Job Search Child Care is available for parents to actively seek full employment and 100 percent of participation hours must come from employment for child care to continue beyond the three-month time frame. Attending school or a training program will not be counted towards the participation hours.
If families do not meet minimum employment requirements after the three months of eligibility, services must be terminated.
Families being redetermined for a new 12-month of child care services and do not meet eligibility requirements, do not qualify for Initial Job Search Child Care, unless services are terminated and a new application is submitted. New child care applications are subject to Workforce Solutions Golden Crescent’s waiting list and priority of service.
Parents must also:
Training Opportunities
Free Online Tools and Resources to improve quality early childhood education for childcare providers and parents/families
Online courses for professional development for childcare providers as well as CDA Training and CDA Renewal courses. There is a fee associated with these courses.
- Parents who are receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF),
- Parents who have recently stopped receiving TANF benefits because of earned income,
- Parents with low incomes who need help paying for child care so they can continue to work or attend school,
- Teen parents from low-income families who need child care to attend school, and
- Parents with low incomes who have children with disabilities.
- Parents who meet the definition of experiencing homelessness
General Program Information
Parents who receive CCS assistance are required to pay a portion of their cost of care, with the exception of those parents who are participating in Choices or who are in Choices child care, parents who are participating in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) services or who are in SNAP E&T child care, parents of a child receiving child care for children experiencing homelessness, and parents who have children who are receiving protective services child care unless the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) assesses the parent share of cost. The parent’s share of cost will be based on a Sliding Fee Scale. Families must be working or in school or training for a minimum of 25 hours per week for a single parent household and 50 hours for a two parent household with each parent working 25 hours in order to be eligible for services. Additionally, families must meet income requirements located on the Sliding Fee Scale to be eligible for service.
Job Search Child Care Available
New families who apply for child care financial assistance may qualify for Initial Job Search Child Care if the parent(s) do not meet the minimum participation requirements for At-Risk child care eligibility, but meet all other eligibility requirements. Families will qualify for three months of child care services with no co-pay while searching for work that will meet minimum employment activity requirements - 25 hours per week for a single parent household or a combined 50 hours for a dual-parent household. If parents meet employment participation requirements within three months, eligibility will continue for a total of 12 months. This includes the three-months of the initial job search period. Once work requirements are met, co-pays are instated.
Initial Job Search Child Care is available for parents to actively seek full employment and 100 percent of participation hours must come from employment for child care to continue beyond the three-month time frame. Attending school or a training program will not be counted towards the participation hours.
If families do not meet minimum employment requirements after the three months of eligibility, services must be terminated.
Families being redetermined for a new 12-month of child care services and do not meet eligibility requirements, do not qualify for Initial Job Search Child Care, unless services are terminated and a new application is submitted. New child care applications are subject to Workforce Solutions Golden Crescent’s waiting list and priority of service.
Parents must also:
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agree to report changes that may affect eligibility within 14 calendar days including:
- changes in family income or family size that would cause the family to exceed 85 percent of State Median Income (SMI) for a family of the same size
- changes in work or attendance at a job training or educational program not considered to be temporary changes
- any change in family residence, primary phone number, or e-mail (if available)
Training Opportunities
Free Online Tools and Resources to improve quality early childhood education for childcare providers and parents/families
Online courses for professional development for childcare providers as well as CDA Training and CDA Renewal courses. There is a fee associated with these courses.
