CCS subsidy, in plain language.

What CCS is

Child Care Services (CCS) is funded by the Texas Workforce Commission and administered locally by twenty-eight workforce development boards. In Bexar County that board is Workforce Solutions Alamo, and they are the ones who decide your eligibility — not us.

If you are approved, the board pays your provider directly for most of the cost of care, and your family pays a parent share of cost. Federal rules cap that share at 7% of your household income.

You choose the provider. It has to be a provider the board works with, and Bright Start is one. You are not assigned to a centre.

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 for initial eligibility, which the state ties to 85% of the state median income for a family your 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, 50 hours combined for a two-parent household.
• Your child is a US citizen or has an eligible immigration status.
• You live in the workforce area you are applying to.

Families who move up the list

• Children experiencing homelessness
• Children in, or leaving, foster care and kinship care
• Children of active-duty military families
• Children with disabilities
• Teen parents finishing school
• Families receiving or transitioning off TANF

If any of these describe your family, say so on the form. It changes where you land in the queue, and people leave it off because nobody told them it mattered.

What to have ready

• Photo ID for every 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 work, school or training hours, including a written schedule if your hours change week to week
• Your child’s birth certificate and immunisation record
• Proof of 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 varies, ask your employer for a letter that says so rather than sending four different pay stubs and hoping.

What you would actually pay

Your parent share of cost is set on a sliding scale from your family size and income, and assessed when the board determines your eligibility. It is not a percentage we choose and it is not something we can quote you.

Federal rules cap the parent share at 7% of household income. That is a ceiling, not an estimate.

If a provider’s published rate is above the rate the board pays, the provider may bill you the difference. Ask every centre on your list about this before you enrol — it is the number that surprises people.

Texas Rising Star

Texas Rising Star is the state’s quality rating for providers who take CCS. Programmes are rated two-, three- or four-star. This is a demonstration site, so we do not display a star level — look any provider up yourself, including us, on the official site.

Where to apply

You apply through your local workforce board, not through a childcare centre. Expect a waiting list, apply as early as you can, and keep your phone number current — a missed call can put you back at the bottom.

• childcare.texas.govThe state’s front door — find your board, search providers who accept CCS.
• workforcesolutionsalamo.orgThe board that decides eligibility for Bexar County.
• twc.texas.govTexas Workforce Commission — the programme rules themselves.
• texasrisingstar.orgThe quality rating for providers who take CCS.

Eligibility rules, income limits, required hours and priority groups are set by the Texas Workforce Commission and your local board, and they change. Nothing on this page is a determination of eligibility. Confirm the current requirements with Workforce Solutions Alamo before relying on them.