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Eligibility Requirements
The Early Childhood Eligibility Screener asks the amount of income our home makes before taxes. Sometimes our paychecks are different. How should I answer this question?

Provide your best estimate of the average income per pay period.

Eligibility Requirements
The Early Childhood Eligibility Screener asks if I (or others in my home) work, go to school, or do job training for a certain number of hours each week. Our hours change and can be more or less than the required number. How should we answer if our hours

Provide your best estimate of the average hours per week. Child Care Services (CCS) has a work requirement that applies to most families. This means that the parent must work, attend job training, or go to school for a combination of at least an average of 25 hours per week for a single-parent family or a total combined 50 hours per week for a two-parent family.

Eligibility Requirements
The Early Childhood Eligibility Screener asks if my child has a disability. What counts as a disability?

A child who has a physical or mental condition that makes it hard to do important everyday activities, has a record of a condition, or is thought to have a condition. 

Everyday activities include, but are not limited to:

  • caring for oneself
  • performing manual tasks
  • walking
  • hearing
  • seeing
  • speaking
  • breathing
  • learning
  • working

Do you have concerns about your child’s development? You can find more information for children from birth to 36 months or ages 3 to 5. 

Eligibility Requirements
The Early Childhood Eligibility Screener says my family doesn’t qualify for any programs. Is there somewhere I can look for help?

Please visit 2-1-1 Texas and Early Childhood Texas to find other services in your area. If you have a special situation that the screener doesn’t cover, contact your local board for help.

Costs and Fees
Will my family have to pay for any of the programs?

Some programs may be free, and some may need payment for services.  This depends on many factors, such as family size, income, living situation, and others.  

Child Care Services (CCS)

Families typically need to pay part of the cost (parent share of cost).  To view the parent share of cost chart and a parent share of cost calculator to estimate costs, visit the Child Care Data, Reports & Plans webpage and scroll down to Income Limits and Parents Copays. 

Early Head Start

No. Early Head Start is free and paid for by the federal government.

Head Start

No. Head Start is free and paid for by the federal government.

Public Pre-k

A school district may charge tuition for:

  • half-day and full-day pre-k classes to children who don’t qualify for free pre-k
  • extra half-day pre-k classes to 3-year-old children who do qualify for free pre-k 

If a school district charges tuition:

  • the price can only be as much as needed to pay for the extra pre-k hours
  • the district must ask the commissioner to approve the price every year

You can find out more about Public Pre-k tuition rates on the Texas Education Agency website.

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