Dreaming of opening up your own in-home preschool or child care but not sure where to start? Chances are, you will need a license to operate your child care or school and each state has its own licensing process to become an in-home child care provider.
In Texas, the Child Care Licensing Division of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is responsible for protecting the health, safety, and well-being of children who attend or reside in regulated child care operations.
The Child Care Licensing Division of the DFPS grants permits to child care operators to open their own programs. There are different permits for different types of operations. For example, a Listed Family Home is granted a “listing”; a Registered Child Care Home is granted a “registration”, and all other types of operations are granted a “license”.
In this series of posts, we’ll help you understand what you’ll need to do to open your own home preschool or child care in Texas.
In Texas, there are three types of permits for Family Child Care:
- Listed Family Homes
- Registered Child Care Homes
- Licensed Child Care Homes
Learn more about the Types of Licenses here.
To apply for a license, you’ll have to fill out an application. The application may require certain inspections and safety regulations. Read more about the in-depth Licensing Process here.
To be eligible for a license, you must be at least 18 years old, have a certain number of years and type of experience and education depending on the type of permit you’ll be applying for, pass a background check, and more. Read more about License Eligibility.
There are certain annual training requirements you will have to meet in your first year of employment and beyond. To learn more about Training Requirements for Licensing, click here.
Lastly, your home will have to meet certain indoor and outdoor requirements for you to receive a family child care license in Texas. These requirements include adequate space, toilet and sink requirements, and equipment specifications. Learn more about the Home Requirements for Licensing.
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