Curious about setting up a family day care service in the state of Texas? If so, pay close attention to the tips and resources in this article. Before opening your doors for business, you will need to learn about day care licensing Texas standards set by the Department of Family and Protective Services.
Below are a few key tips and resources to get you started on the right foot:
1. The first thing you need to decide is whether you’re interested in starting a home daycare, a daycare center, or a 24-hour residential care provider. Once you decide upon that part of your business, visit this part of the Department’s website and this page to learn more about licensing.
Indeed, many moms who just want to work from home choose the home daycare option. For this, you will need to fill out an application and pay an application fee, attend a pre-application daycare class (which may be given online sometime in the future), review the information packet that you’ll receive about the rules, regulations and other important daycare information, and finally create an online account for your application.
2. To contact the main office directly, write to or call the office below:
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
Child Care Licensing
P.O. Box 149030
Austin, TX 78714-9030
Phone: 512-834-3195
Toll Free: 800-862-5252
E-mail form
(The address above is a mailing address, while the physical building is located at 701 W. 51st Street Austin, TX 78751.)
For regional licensing office and e-application locations, check out this contact page.
3. For frequently asked questions about texas daycare licensing, check out this page on the Department’s site.
4. More information about Texas childcare licensing can be found here and here.
5. Last but not least, check out the NACCRRA’s market research report about the demand for specific types of daycare in Texas. For example, in 2011, the average annual fees for full time infant care services at a family home totaled almost $6000. Unfortunately, the data for toddlers is not available on that report, so this is something you might want to ask about at the licensing office or via other means when planning your business.
In summary, you just learned five tips on how to open a daycare in Texas. Indeed, child care licensing in Texas has rules and regulations like many other states, so learn as much as you can about the process and stick to what they require.
For a complete “how to” guide and insider perspective on setting up a daycare, take a look at the startup kit.
