Child care centers play a vital role in the lives of young children, providing them with a safe and nurturing environment while their parents or guardians are at work. To ensure the well-being and #development of these children, it is essential to have qualified and competent individuals overseeing these centers. In Texas, child care centers are subject to strict regulations, including requirements for the qualifications and training of their directors. This article will delve into the education and training requirements for child care directors in Texas, including annual training obligations.
Director Qualifications in Texas
In Texas, the role of a child care center director carries significant responsibility, as they are entrusted with the care and education of young children. To become a director of a child care center licensed for 13 or more children, individuals must meet specific qualifications. These qualifications are designed to ensure that directors have the necessary knowledge and experience to provide a high-quality #early-childhood education and care environment.
- Age Requirement: To be eligible for the position of child care center director, candidates must be at least 21 years of age. This requirement reflects the need for maturity and responsibility in overseeing the well-being of children.
- Educational Qualifications: Directors must have a high school diploma or its equivalent. However, this is just the minimum requirement, and additional education is necessary to meet the standards set by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
Combinations of Education and Experience
To meet the educational requirements for child care center directors in Texas, individuals can choose from several combinations of education and experience, as outlined below:
- Bachelor's Degree with Child Development and Management Credits:
- A bachelor's degree with 12 college credit hours in child development and six college credit hours in management.
- At least one year of experience in a licensed child care center.
- Associate's Degree in Child Development:
- An associate's of applied science degree in child development or a closely related field.
- Six college credit hours in child development and six college credit hours in management.
- At least two years of experience in a licensed child care center.
- Sixty College Credit Hours:
- Sixty college credit hours with nine college credit hours in child development and six college credit hours in management.
- At least two years of experience in a licensed child care center.
- Child Care Administrator's Certificate:
- A child care administrator's certificate from a community college.
- At least 15 college credit hours in child development and three college credit hours in management.
- At least two years of experience in a licensed child care center.
- Child Development Associate or Certified Child Care Professional:
- A Child Development Associate credential or Certified Child Care Professional credential.
- Six college credit hours in management.
- At least two years of experience in a licensed child care center.
- Day-Care Administrator's Credential:
- A day-care administrator's credential issued by a professional organization or educational institution, approved by Licensing based on specified criteria.
- At least two years of experience in a licensed child care center.
- Nine College Credit Hours:
- Nine college credit hours in child development and nine college credit hours in management.
- At least three years of experience in a licensed child care center.
ChildCareEd is a Child Day Care Director Credentialing Organization Recognized by Child Care Regulation to offer the Texas Director Credential. In addition, ChildCareEd also offers the 120 hours of CDA training in the following areas:
ChildCareEd offers these two options to support providers in Texas as they complete the education requirements for Director qualification.
Applying for a Permit
Child care centers in Texas must adhere to specific protocols when designating a new director or applying for a permit. The following documentation and information must be submitted:
- Licensing Personal History Statement Form: A completed form specifying the education and experience of the designated director.
- Licensing Governing Body/Director Designation Form: A completed form indicating the director's designation.
- Licensing Child-Care Center Director's Certificate Form: An original and current certificate form issued by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, verifying the director's qualifications.
- Experience Verification: Complete dates, names, addresses, and telephone numbers that support the required experience must be provided.
Submission of this information is mandatory as part of a new application for a permit or within five days of designating a new director.
Certificate Issuance and Expiration
Once it is determined that a director meets the minimum standard qualifications, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission will issue a Licensing Child-Care Center Director's Certificate. This certificate serves as verification that the individual meets the required qualifications to serve as a child care center director. It is important to note that the director's certificate will have an expiration date.
Annual Training
In addition to the initial education and experience requirements, child care directors in Texas are also required to participate in 30 hours of ongoing training. This training ensures that directors stay up-to-date with best practices in child care and #early-childhood-education.
The 30 clock hours of annual training must be relevant to the age of the children for whom the child-care center provides care.
At least six clock hours of the annual training hours must be in one or more of the following topics:
- Child #growth-and-development
- Guidance and discipline
- Age-appropriate curriculum
- Teacher-child interaction
- Serving children with special care needs
At least one clock hour of the annual training hours must focus on the prevention, recognition, and reporting of child maltreatment, including:
- Factors indicating a child is at risk for abuse or neglect
- Warning signs indicating a child may be a victim of abuse or neglect
- Procedures for reporting child abuse or neglect
- Community organizations that have training programs available to employees, children, and parents.
If the center provides care for children younger than 24 months of age, one hour of the annual training hours must cover the following topics:
- Recognizing and preventing shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma
- Understanding and using #safe-sleep practices and preventing sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- Understanding #early-childhood brain development.
Annual training hours must also include training on the following topics:
- Emergency Preparedness
- Preventing and controlling the spread of communicable diseases, including immunizations
- Administering medication
- Preventing and responding to emergencies due to food or an allergic reaction
- Understanding building and physical premises safety, including identification and protection from hazards that can cause bodily injury such as electrical hazards, bodies of water, and vehicular traffic
- Handling, storing, and disposing of hazardous materials
ChildCareEd's 30 Hour Texas Director Annual training course ensures Director's have training in all required areas.
Child care directors in Texas play a critical role in providing quality care and education to young children. To ensure the safety and well-being of children, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has established strict educational and experiential requirements for directors. Additionally, ongoing training is essential to keep directors informed about the latest developments in child care and early childhood education.
By adhering to these requirements and investing in continuous professional development, child care directors in Texas can provide a nurturing and educational environment that supports the healthy development of the children in their care. This commitment to high standards ultimately benefits the children and families who rely on child care centers for their well-being and growth and ChildCareEd is here to support you.
Courses & Classes related to Texas
Online Trainings
- 1,2,3, Eyes on Me: Classroom Safety
- 16 Hour Texas Pre-Service
- 1-Hour Abuse and Neglect Training
- 24 Hour Texas Pre-Service
- 24-Hour Texas Teacher Annual ONLINE
- 30 hour Texas Director Annual ONLINE
- 45-Hour Coaching and Mentoring
- 45 hour Growth and Development Birth-age 12 ONLINE
- 8 Hour Texas Pre-service
- 9 Hour Communication Course
- A Better Space for All
- Abuse and Neglect: Signs and Reporting
- Access for All: Inclusion and the ADA
- ACEs and Resilience in Child Care
- A Closer Look into Developmental Theories
- Admin as Mentors in Early Education
- Administering Basic Health and Safety ONLINE
- Administration of Medicine
- A Great Place for Education Includes All ONLINE
- A Guide to Effective Communication
- Allergies and Medication in Childcare
- Anxiety: Signs & Strategies
- Appropriate Precautions in Transportation of Children
- A Thoughtful Approach to Children's Mental Health
- Autism Awareness in Child Care
- A Watchful Eye: Supervision in Early Childhood
- Baby Play: Planning Infant and Toddler Activities
- Baby Steps to Milestones ONLINE
- Balance Act: Teacher & Child ONLINE
- Balancing Act: Record Keeping & Supervision
- Balancing Act: Schedules and Routines
- Basics 101: Coaching & Mentoring
- Behind the Scenes: Baby Routines ONLINE
- Be Loud, No Bullying Allowed
- Brain Building
- Brain Injury Awareness in Young Children
- Bridging Intent and Response: Communication
- Brighter Futures: Social Emotional Development
- Building and Physical Premises Safety
- Business Planning: Family Child Care
- CDA #1: Health & Safety
- CDA #7: Observe & Assess
- CDA #8: Child Development/Learning
- CDA: A Closer Look at Assessments
- CDA: Approaches to Learning
- CDA: Communication: Keep It Simple
- CDA: Creating the Outdoor Classroom
- CDA: Curriculum Alignment & Materials
- CDA: Essential Tools for Record Keeping
- CDA Family Child Care Credential with Portfolio Review
- CDA Family Child Care Renewal
- CDA Home Visitor Credential Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 1 Part 1 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 1 Part 2 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 1 Part 3 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 2 Part 1 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 2 Part 2 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 2 Part 3 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 3 Part 1 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 3 Part 2 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 3 Part 3 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 4 Part 1 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 4 Part 2 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 4 Part 3 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 5 Part 1 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 5 Part 2 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 5 Part 3 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 6 Part 1 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 6 Part 2 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 6 Part 3 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 7 Part 1 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 7 Part 2 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 7 Part 3 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 8 Part 1 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 8 Part 2 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 8 Part 3 Birth to 5
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Abuse and Neglect Reporting Requisites
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Benefits to Observing
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Brain Development and Gene Expression
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Classroom Setup
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Health and Safety
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Importance of Consistent Care
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Individualized Learning and Inclusion
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Lesson Planning Made Easy
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Smart Nutrition & Feeding
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Stages of Development
- CDA Infant/Toddler Credential with Portfolio Review
- CDA Infant/Toddler: Parent Relationships
- CDA Infant/Toddler Renewal
- CDA Introduction
- CDA Preschool Credential with Portfolio Review
- CDA Preschool Renewal
- CDA: Special Needs: Understanding the Whole Child
- CDA: Stand With Respect and Professionalism
- Character Development for Childcare Professionals
- Chef's in the Classroom
- Child Care Administration
- Childcare Management
- Child Care Orientation
- Childhood Obesity
- Children at the Wheel ONLINE
- Children's Keepers: Building Childhood Resilience
- Classroom Arrangement: The Second Teacher
- Classroom Designers ONLINE
- Classroom Management is Collaboration!
- Classroom Positivity
- Classroom Setup for Child Care
- Classroom Tools for Emergent Literacy
- Coaching and Mentoring Techniques
- Coaching/Mentoring DEI
- Collaboration for the Win
- Communication in Coaching and Mentoring
- Community and Family Engagement in Childcare
- Community Partnerships
- Conduct Disorders in Early Childhood
- Confidentiality Is a Must!
- Coordinating with Community in Child Care
- Creating an Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Plan
- Creating the Natural Outdoor Classroom
- Cultures in the Classroom
- Curriculum Planning
- DAP for Family Child Care
- DAP for Preschool
- Day 2 Day: Provider Responsibilities
- Designing Your School-Age Classroom ONLINE
- Developing a Successful Workshop
- Developing Program Tranquility
- Developmental Screening in Early Childhood
- Diverse Perspectives in Child Care
- Early Childhood Education
- Early Childhood Program Administration
- Early Learning with Infants and Toddlers
- ECE Programs Through History
- Effective Coaching & Mentoring in ECE
- Elijah's Law: Allergy Awareness Training
- Emergency and Disaster Preparedness- Online
- Emergent Learning & Development
- Engaging Indoor Activities for Inclement Weather
- Engaging Parents in the Montessori Toddler Classroom
- Enhancing Life and Development
- Enriching Education: Field Trips
- Evaluating Performance
- Expect the Unexpected: Infants and Toddlers
- Family (or Parent) Conferencing: Developing Trust ONLINE
- FAS in Early Childhood
- Food Preparation and Nutrition
- Fragile X Syndrome in Young Children
- Getting on the Right Path to Teaching
- Going Head-to-Head with Challenging Behavior
- Grow with Me: Child Development for Mixed Ages
- Guiding School-Aged Children
- Handling and Storage of Hazardous Materials
- Healing Young Hearts: Stress and Grief
- Health and Nutrition
- Health and Safety Orientation
- Health & Safety Requirements for Childcare Providers
- Healthy Habits from the Start
- Heart-to-Heart Communication: Challenging Behaviors
- Hemophilia in Young Children
- Hidden in Plain Sight: Depression in Young Children
- How Preschoolers Develop
- How To Keep A Healthy Class for Infants/Toddlers
- How To Keep A Healthy Class: Six Tips for Germ Control
- How to Manage Chronic Illness with Infants/Toddlers
- Identifying ADHD in Child Care
- IEPs and IFSPs in Family Child Care
- Illness, Medication, and Allergies in Child Care
- Implementing the Montessori Curriculum
- Inclusive Lessons for Preschoolers
- Inclusive Montessori: Supporting Diverse Learners in the Classroom
- Individual Needs & IEPs for School Age
- Injury Prevention: Their Safety Is In Your Hands
- Intentional Safety for Infants/Toddlers
- Introduction to Coaching & Mentoring
- Intro to Cerebral Palsy
- Intro to Montessori: Philosophy, Principles, and Practices
- It's All About the Timing
- Keeping Them Safe: Infants & Toddlers
- Key Elements of an After School Age Program ONLINE
- Lesson Planning for Preschoolers
- Lesson Planning to Meet School Age Needs
- Let’s Talk: Effective Communication
- Letter & Number Planning in Child Care
- Mandated Reporters
- Mastering Observation Techniques in the Montessori Classroom
- Matchmaking for Mentors
- Meaningful Lesson Planning for Infants/Toddlers
- Meeting Adult Learners' Needs
- Mental Health in Early Childhood
- Mentoring Professional Etiquette in Child Care
- Milestones: By Leaps & Bounds
- Mind's Medicine: Music in Early Childhood
- Montessori Assistant Training
- Montessori Essentials: Mixed-Age Mastery
- Montessori in Context: Decoding Educational Theories
- Montessori Unveiled: Demystifying the Method for Parents
- More than One Way to Look at it: Types of Early Childhood Education Programs
- Moving About the Classroom: Effective Transitions for Everyday
- Mysteries of Challenging Behavior Solved
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Child Care
- No Such Thing as Boring Math
- Observations And Goal Setting in Childcare
- Observing & Assessing in Child Care
- On My Plate: Children's Nutrition
- Open Ears: Listening in Child Care
- Open Heart, Open Art
- Opportunity for Growth: Emotional Development
- Ouch! Biting & Hitting Hurts
- Pillars of Health and Safety in Child Care
- Playful Spaces for Infants & Toddlers
- Playing with a Purpose: Infant/Toddler Lesson Planning
- Play, Learn, Grow Online Version
- Play Safe, Think Big: Literacy Through Play
- Positive Attention: Infants and Toddlers
- Positive Attention: Interactions & Supervision of Infants & Toddlers
- Potty Training Made Simple
- Power of Art: Bldg Self-Esteem & Positive Behavior for ALL Abilities ONLINE
- Preschool Assessments & Observations
- Preventative Health and Safety
- Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases
- Prevention of and Response to Allergic Reactions
- Prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Use of Safe Sleep Practices
- Professional Integrity in Child Care
- Professional Partnerships & Practices
- Project-Based Learning for Children
- Raising Peaceful Learners: The Montessori Advantage
- Resources: Building Blocks to Excellence
- Responding to Emergencies
- Roadmapping Preschool Curriculum
- Role of Play in Learning
- Rooted in History: Early Childhood
- Safe Sleep Training
- Self-Regulation & Change: Helping Children Cope
- Shaken Baby Syndrome
- Shifting Gears to Respect
- Shoo, Germs! Don't Bother Me!
- SIDS: Saving Babies: A Change of Position, A Change in Tradition
- SMART Goals in Coaching & Mentoring
- Solutions NOT Punishments
- Spaces that Support Discovery
- Special Babies
- Special Needs: From Referral to Inclusion
- Spicing Up the Classroom: Learning Centers
- Staff Supervision, Observation & Feedback
- Stay Alert! Steps to Emergency Prep Online Version
- Staying Positive: Guidance for Preschoolers
- Strength in Differences: Cultural Diversity
- Student Success: Expectations & Independence
- Success in Safety for Babies
- Super Special School Agers ONLINE
- Supervision with Intent for Admin
- Supporting Breastfeeding Practices In Child Care
- Supporting Children's Independence
- Supporting Children with Hearing Loss
- Supporting Little Hearts: Divorce and Separation in the Child Care Setting
- Supporting School Age Development ONLINE
- Supporting Skill Development: Children with Special Needs
- Supporting Social Learning: Creating Classrooms that Care
- Tailoring Instruction to Children's Needs
- Teacher/Child Interactions in the School-Age Classroom
- Teacher Mentoring in ECE
- Teacher & Me Playtime
- Teachers, Assemble! Building Up Staff in Child Care
- Teach with Respect ONLINE
- Technology as a Classroom Tool
- Texas Director Credential
- Texas Director Credential Renewal
- Texas Primary Caregiver Qualification
- Texas Teacher 24 hours Annual Renewal 2nd Year
- The Balancing Act for Administrators: Managing Responsibilities
- The Best Promotion is Play
- The Ethical Code of Child Care
- The First Year: Feeding Infants
- The Foundations of Coaching & Mentoring
- The Montessori Assistant's Toolkit
- Theories on How I Grow
- Theory of Learning
- Theory of Mentoring and Coaching in Early Childhood
- The Prepared Environment: Montessori Class Design
- The Right Kind of Influence for Young Children
- The Super Hero in Us All
- Toddlers and Theories
- Tomorrow's Einsteins: Infant and Toddler Science
- Training Guide for Families from Diverse Language and Cultural Backgrounds
- Transportation Safety
- Typical & Atypical Development in ECE
- Understanding Developmental Disabilities
- Understanding Montessori's Approach to Child Development
- Understanding Print Knowledge in Preschool
- Understanding the Coach's Role
- Universal Language of Coaching & Mentoring
- Using AI Language Models for Trainers
- Using Toys to Support Learning
- Viewing Guidance in a Positive Light
- Watch Me Grow: School Age Development ONLINE
- Ways to Serve: Leadership
- Working Together: Teachers & Preschoolers
- Working With Mixed Age Groups
- Writing Training Goals & Objectives
- Writing Workshop Proposals & Assessments
- You're Not My Friend Anymore: Learning Conflict Resolution
In-person/blended trainings