Child Care Services (CCS) is Texas’s child care subsidy, funded by the Texas Workforce Commission and run locally by your workforce board — in Bexar County, Workforce Solutions Alamo. If you are approved, the board pays your provider directly and you pay a share of the cost, capped at 7% of your household income.
Who generally qualifies
- Your child is under 13 — or under 19 with a disability or under court supervision.
- Your household income is at or below the limit the state sets for initial eligibility, which is tied to 85% of the state median income for your family size.
- Every parent in the household is working, in school, or in job training for a required number of hours a week — generally 25 hours for a single-parent household and 50 combined for a two-parent household.
- Your child is a US citizen or has an eligible immigration status, and you live in the workforce area you are applying to.
Some families move to the front of the queue. Priority groups include children experiencing homelessness, children in or leaving foster care, children of military families, children with disabilities, teen parents, and families receiving or transitioning off TANF. If any of those apply to you, say so on the form — it changes where you land on the list.
What to have ready before you start
- Photo ID for each parent in the household.
- Proof of income for the last 30 days — pay stubs, or a signed employer letter if you are paid in cash.
- Proof of your work, school or training hours, including a schedule if your hours vary.
- Your child’s birth certificate and immunisation record.
- Proof of your address — a lease, a utility bill, or a letter from the person you live with.
The single most common reason an application stalls is missing proof of hours for one parent. If your schedule changes week to week, ask your employer for a letter that says so rather than sending four different pay stubs and hoping.
What you will pay
CCS does not usually cover the whole cost. Families pay a parent share of cost, set on a sliding scale from household size and income and assessed at eligibility. Federal rules cap that share at 7% of household income. If your provider charges more than the rate the board pays, they may bill you the difference — ask about that before you enrol, because it is the number that surprises people.
Where to apply
You apply through your local workforce board, not through a childcare centre. In Bexar County that is Workforce Solutions Alamo. The state’s own front door, childcare.texas.gov, will route you to the right board and also lets you search for providers who accept CCS and check their Texas Rising Star status. Expect a waiting list — apply as early as you can, and keep your contact details current, because a missed call can send you back to the bottom.
Eligibility rules, income limits and priority groups are set by the Texas Workforce Commission and by your local board, and they change. Treat this page as a starting point and confirm the current requirements with Workforce Solutions Alamo before you rely on them.