Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in Texas
Texas Child Care Services covers families up to 85% of state median income — about $92,000 for a family of four, the federal maximum. Public Pre-K is free for 4-year-olds in five categories: low-income, English learner, homeless, foster, military.
Data current as of May 21, 2026
Child care subsidy (CCDF) in Texas
- Program name
- Child Care Services (CCS) — applied via Texas Child Care Connection (TX3C)
- Administered by
- Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), delivered through 28 Local Workforce Development Boards
- Income ceiling
- Family income up to 85% of State Median Income for the family size, with assets under $1 million. Local Workforce Development Boards may set lower entry thresholds based on available funding.
- Family fee / copay
- Parent Share of Cost is set on a sliding scale by family size and gross monthly income. Some Local Workforce Development Boards offer reduced copays for families using Texas Rising Star 4-star providers. The federal 2024 Final Rule caps the family fee at 7% of family income.
- Waitlist status
- Varies by district — TWC launched the Texas Child Care Connection (TX3C) statewide online application portal in January 2025. Wait lengths vary substantially by Workforce Board region; large metros (Houston, Dallas, Austin) have historically had multi-thousand-family waits. There is no online way to check waitlist status — contact your Local Workforce Solutions office.
Income limits by family size
| Family size | Income ceiling (85% SMI, annual) | Max annual copay |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $47,862 | $3,350 |
| 2 | $62,588 | $4,381 |
| 3 | $77,315 | $5,412 |
| 4 | $92,041 | $6,443 |
| 5 | $106,768 | $7,474 |
| 6 | $121,495 | $8,505 |
- Income ceiling (85% SMI, annual): Maximum gross household income for CCS eligibility, statewide ceiling per TWC.
- Max annual copay: Maximum Parent Share of Cost at the income ceiling, per TWC. Lower-income families pay less on the sliding scale.
85% SMI figures from TWC's Board Contract Year 2026 (Oct 1, 2025 – Sept 30, 2026) Income Eligibility and Maximum Parent Share of Cost card. Updated by TWC each October 1. Effective October 1, 2025; check the state portal for the latest figures.
State pre-K in Texas
- Program name
- Texas Public Pre-K
- Administered by
- Texas Education Agency (TEA), delivered by local school districts and open-enrollment charter schools
- Access
- Income-targeted
- Eligibility
- Children must be three or four years old on September 1 and meet ONE of six categories: (1) economically disadvantaged (income eligible for the National School Lunch Program, or family receiving SNAP/TANF); (2) English Learner / Emergent Bilingual; (3) homeless under McKinney-Vento; (4) in foster care, currently or previously (in Texas or any state/U.S. territory); (5) child of an active-duty member of the U.S. Armed Forces, Texas National Guard, or activated reserve; (6) child of a recipient of the Star of Texas Award (peace officers, firefighters, or EMS personnel killed or injured in the line of duty).
- Coverage
- Approximately 50% of Texas 4-year-olds are enrolled in Public Pre-K (NIEER State of Preschool 2023 yearbook). HB 3 (2019) requires districts to offer full-day pre-K for eligible students.
State tax credits & extras in Texas
- State CDCC
- Texas does not offer a state Child and Dependent Care Credit. Texas has no state personal income tax. The federal CDCC (claimed on IRS Form 2441) is the only income-tax-based credit Texas families can use for child care expenses.
Where to apply or get help in Texas
- Find a licensed daycare in TexasChildery directory — quality ratings, ZIP & city search
- Texas child care portalwww.twc.texas.gov/programs/child-care
- Eligibility screenerwww.earlychildhood.texas.gov/about-eligibility-screener
- Texas 211 (dial 2-1-1)www.211texas.org/
- Texas Child Care Connection (TX3C) — apply for CCSwww.childcare.texas.gov/for-families/child-care-scholarships
- Texas Public Pre-K (TEA)tea.texas.gov/academics/early-childhood-education
- Federal childcare.gov — Texas resourceswww.childcare.gov/state-resources/texas
- BCY26 Income Eligibility & Max Parent Share of Cost (PDF, TWC)www.twc.texas.gov/sites/default/files/ccel/docs/bcy-26-income-eligibility-and-maximum-psoc-twc.pdf
Find a daycare in Texas
Once you know what you qualify for, Childery's directory helps you pick a provider. Browse Texas's licensed daycares with independent Process and Structural quality ratings, or search by ZIP code or city.
Browse Texas daycaresSources
- BCY26 Income Eligibility & Maximum Parent Share of Cost — Texas Workforce Commission (effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sept 30, 2026) (2026)
- Child Care Services — Texas Workforce Commission
- Child Care Data, Reports & Plans — Texas Workforce Commission
- Child Care Scholarships — Texas Child Care Connection (TX3C)
- Texas Public Pre-K — Texas Education Agency
- Federal childcare.gov — Texas Resources
- 45F.org — Texas state guide (confirms no state income tax / no state CDCC)
Every state layers its own program on top of a federal floor — CCDF (the federal block grant), Head Start, the federal DCFSA (employer pre-tax benefit), and the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit. See the federal overview for what the floor looks like before any state adds.