Child Care Resources

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2-1-1 Texas is a free, confidential information and referral line answered by nationally certified specialists 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When callers call 2-1-1, they are connected to area information centers in their region that can assist with the following: food, shelter, rent assistance, utility bill assistance, counseling, child care, after-school programs, senior citizen services, disaster relief, and other resources.

Developmental Screenings for Children

Texas Health Steps Medical Checkups – My Children’s Medicaid – A wellness program for children, teens, and young adults age 20 and younger. Texas Health Steps helps remind you to make sure your children get their medical and dental checkups. As long as your children have Medicaid, they have Texas Health Steps. For more information, visit www.txhealthsteps.org.

Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) – Provides services for children ages birth-3 years, including evaluations to determine eligibility and the need for early intervention services, at no cost to families. For more information, visit: https://hhs.texas.gov.

Texas Education Agency (TEA) – Provides services for children with disabilities ages 3-5 years. Eligible children may receive special education and related services provided by the school district. For more information, visit www.texasprojectfirst.org.

Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation Division:

• Regulates child-care operations and child-placing agencies to protect the health, safety, and well-being of children in care, largely by reducing the risk of injury, abuse, and communicable disease.
• Establishes and monitors operations and agencies for compliance with minimum standards of care.
• Informs parents and the public about child care and about the histories of specific homes, child-care operations, and child-placing operations in complying with minimum standards of care.
• Provides technical assistance to providers on meeting minimum standards of care.

To obtain health and safety requirements or the compliance history of a regulated child care facility, contact Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) for an office closest to you at 512-438-4800. You can also find a variety of information on the HHS website at www.hhs.texas.gov.