State Profile | Texas

The Afterschool Investments project has developed profiles for each state to provide a snapshot of the "state of afterschool," as well as an opportunity to compare afterschool activities across the country. This profile provides key data and descriptions of the afterschool landscape, which includes a range of out-of-school time programming that can occur before and after school, on weekends, and during summer months. It is designed to serve as a resource for policymakers, administrators, and providers.

• Quick Facts
• Statewide Initiatives
• Notable Local Initiatives
• Statewide Organizations
• Additional Resources
• Notes and Sources

Quick Facts

Demographics

For more demographic information, visit http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/statepro/index.html

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)

CCDF Administrative Overview

Settings

Where CCDF-Subsidy school age-children are served:

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool

"Resource and referral and school-age" targeted funds:
Funds may be used for professional development on school readiness for school-aged children and a tiered reimbursement for providers meeting higher child care licensing standards for school-aged children.

Other quality activities: 
Funds may be used for comprehensive consumer education and for monitoring licensing and regulatory requirements. They can also be used for professional development, improving childcare providers’ salaries, activities promoting inclusive childcare, activities increasing parental choice and for youth focused health programs. Other programs focused on improving the quality of childcare may also be funded.

Provider Reimbursement Rates

Tiered Reimbursement Rate System: Facilities that voluntarily exceed the state’s regulatory standards in all areas (including health and safety and caregiver training) receive a 5% higher reimbursement rate through the Texas Rising Star (TRS) Provider Certification Program.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

Program Licensing and Accreditation Policies

21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)

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Statewide Initiatives

• Texas Afterschool Network. In the fall of 2001, afterschool stakeholders from across the state, including providers, advocates, and state agency representatives, began meeting to discuss the needs of Texas children and the future of afterschool in the state. The group developed four sub-committees—research, quality, resources and sustainability, and public awareness and advocacy—to help them reach their goal of afterschool for all children in the state of Texas. In January 2002, group members solidified a mission statement and formally named themselves the Texas Afterschool Network. One key challenge for this group is to improve coordination of existing afterschool funding streams. In 2003, they identified five primary goals and subsequent objectives to network the state’s afterschool stakeholders and train 10 regional representatives to connect afterschool information, programs, and people in Texas communities.
• Local Workforce Development Boards. The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is the CCDF lead agency that contracts  with each of the state’s 28 Local Workforce Development Boards (Boards) to administer its CCDF activities and services through 28 Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDB) under contract with the Texas Workforce Commission. TWC establishes annual allocations and performance targets for child care services, which are incorporated into each LWDB’s contract. In addition, Texas is one of only five states that use private, donated funds (which are secured at the Board level) to meet a part of their matching requirement of the Child Care and Development Fund. In addition, 14 Boards have local match contracts for afterschool childcare with a total of 24 independent school districts across the state, including Austin, Dallas, and El Paso. For a list of participating Boards and school districts, contact the Texas Workforce Commission, http://www.twc.state.tx.us.
• The Texas Afterschool Association (TAA). TAA, the Texas affiliate of the National AfterSchool Association (NAA), and its regional chapters across the state provide training and technical assistance to providers. The Optional Extended Year Program is among the most prominent state-funded afterschool programs. TAA provides a network for afterschool professionals in Texas; coordinates training conferences, workshops, and information services for afterschool professionals; promotes NAA’s Program Improvement and Accreditation system by providing a strong infrastructure of advisors, endorsers, and training related to the national standards; establishes professional development opportunities; and networks with school districts and youth agencies to expand programs and discuss curriculum issues.

  For more information, see http://www.txafterschool.org

• Franchise Tax Credit. The major state tax bill of the 1999 Texas legislative session included a tax credit to corporations that contribute to an out-of-school time child care program for children ages 5 to 13 run by a nonprofit organization or a local government. Businesses can deduct 30 percent of their qualifying expenditures (totaling up to 50 percent of the tax otherwise due), which include facility construction, program equipment or supplies, and operating costs.

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Notable Local Initiatives

• Waco Lighted Schools. In 1994, the McLennan County Youth Collaboration, and eight other community-based organizations joined forces to provide Waco’s Lighted Schools program. This program sought to combat crime, teenage pregnancy, and low academic achievement among middle school students by providing a safe, after-school environment where students and their families could learn and grow.  Start-up funding came from public and private foundations, the federal Department of Justice, and Waco’s Community Block Grant funds. Since that time, Lighted Schools has expanded to include 13 Waco schools.  The extensive system of community partnerships includes parents, education professionals, tutors and mentors, local businesses, colleges, cultural institutions, libraries, social service agencies, and health providers.  Currently, the program receives grant money from Texas’ 21st Century Community Learning Centers, the Community Youth Development Block Grant, and Rosie’s Foundation for All Kids.  Additional funding is received through the Local Workforce Development Board, the City of Waco’s Department of Parks and Recreation, and USDA’s Free and Reduced Price Meal Program. Lighted Schools is now a free, city-wide community learning program serving over 1,000 students and their families. 

  For more information, visit http://www.tyc.state.tx.us/prevention/lighted.html

• Fort Worth Afterschool. The Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) serves over 80,000 students, 60 percent of whom are economically disadvantaged. Building on a history of providing afterschool programs in disadvantaged neighborhoods through the Weed and Seed program, the city partnered with the school district in 1999 to form the Task Force for Afterschool Programs. With a history of programs targeted at high-crime neighborhoods and the identification of potential crime prevention funding sources, task force representation also included Our City Our Children, Crime Prevention Resource Center, and Tarrant County Juvenile Services. After extensive research of best practices and needs assessments, programs began in the 2000- 2001 school year. The city and the school district each contributed half of the $2.2 million budget. The free program serves over 2,600 students daily (over 4,200 total) at 52 sites, with FWISD staff overseeing administrative program operations. Principals and parent advisory committees have the choice of employing approved organizations such as the YMCA or Communities in Schools to run programs or of using allocated funding to develop a self-managed program. Each program is required to offer homework help plus three of five activities: fine arts, sports and recreation, community service, character development and life skills, and academic enrichment. An outside evaluator conducts comprehensive annual reviews of the program to ensure accountability and sustained improvement.

  For more information, visit http://www.fortworthisd.org

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Statewide Organizations

National AfterSchool Association Affiliate:

Texas Afterschool Association (TAA)
United Way of Metropolitan Tarrant County
210 East Ninth St.
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Phone: 817-258-8083
Email: smatkin@uwmtc.org
Web: http://www.txafterschool.org

Statewide Child Care Resource & Referral Network:

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
Office of Child Care Licensing
P.O. Box 149030, Division E550
Austin, TX 78714-9030
Phone: 512-438-3269
Fax: 512-339-5872
Web: http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Child_Care/Search_Texas_Child_Care/
Note: Physical Address: 701 W. 51st Street Austin, Texas 78751

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Additional Resources

State Child Care Administrators:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/display.cfm?title=ccdf

State TANF Contacts:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/states/tanf-dr.htm

21st Century Community Learning Centers Contacts:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/contacts.html

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Notes and Sources

Demographics

Total population: Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007, U.S. Census Bureau.

Number of children ages 5-12: Estimates of the Resident Population by Single-Year of Age and Sex for the United States and States: July 1, 2007, U.S. Census Bureau.

Percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch rate: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.

Percent of K-12 students in Title I "schoolwide" schools: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. The federal Title I program provides funding to local school districts and schools with high percentages of poor children to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic content and student academic achievement standards. Schools enrolling at least 40 percent of students from poor families are eligible to use Title I funds for schoolwide programs that serve all children in the school.

Child Care and Development Fund

The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is the largest federal funding source for child care. States receive a funding allocation determined by formula and have broad flexibility to design programs that provide child care subsidies for low-income children under the age of 13 and to enhance the quality of child care for all children. Federal CCDF funding consists of mandatory, matching, and discretionary funds. Federal law requires that states spend at least 4 percent of their CCDF funds as well as additional targeted funds on activities to improve the quality and availability of child care. CCDF administrative data in this and the following sections is from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Bureau, as reported by States, unless otherwise noted.

FFY08 state MOE plus match: In order to receive Federal matching funds, a state must expend Maintenance of Effort funds. Note that this does not capture actual expenditures, only the minimum required to draw down all available federal funds.

FFY08 Tribal CCDF Allocation: Federal CCDF Funds are awarded directly to Federally-recognized Indian Tribes.

FFY06 total quality expenditures: This data includes FY06 and prior year funds expended for quality from each of the CCDF funding streams (mandatory, matching, and discretionary) and expenditures under targeted funds for infant and toddler, school-age care and resource and referral. This figure provides information obtained from state financial reports submitted for FY06.

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool: Portions of CCDF discretionary funds are targeted specifically for resource and referral and school-age child care activities as well as for quality expansion. (These funds are in addition to the required 4 percent minimum quality expenditure.)

Maximum rate for school-age category: Rate listed applies to center-based care; where rates vary by region or county, the rate for the most populated urban area is given.

Standardized monthly school-age rate: Monthly rate for a child, in school-age care at a center in the largest urban area of the state at four hours per day, 20 days per month. Calculated using information from the FY2008-2009 State CCDF Plan, including payment rate structures, as submitted to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

Separate subsidy rates for part-time vs. full time and Tiered Reimbursement Rate Systems: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Child Care Bureau. Report of State Plans FY2008-2009.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

In addition to spending TANF funds directly on child care, a state may transfer up to 30 percent of its TANF grant to CCDF. Expenditures represent TANF funds spent in FY06 that were awarded in FY06 and prior years. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

Program Licensing and Accreditation Policies

States with separate school-age licensing standards and states with specialized requirements for child care centers serving school-age children: National Association for Regulatory Administration, 2005 Child Care Licensing Study, available at http://www.nara.affiniscape.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=104.

Ratio of children to adults in school-age setting: Data from the National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC), available at: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov.

Number of NAA-accredited programs: from the National AfterSchool Association, June 2008, available at: http://www.naaweb.org.

21st Century Community Learning Centers

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 converted the 21st Century Community Learning Centers’ authority to a state formula grant. In past years, the U.S. Department of Education made competitive awards directly to school districts. Under the reauthorized law, funds flow to states based on their share of Title I, Part A funds. States use their allocations to make competitive awards to eligible entities. Data from the U.S. Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Centers Office and the 21st CCLC Profile and Performance Information Collection System as of August 2008.

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The Child Care Bureau awarded a technical assistance contract to The Finance Project for the Afterschool Investments project. The goals of the Afterschool Investments project include:

• Identifying ways that state and communities are using Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidy and quality dollars to support out-of-school time programs, and sharing these practices and approaches with other states;
• Identifying administrative and implementation issues related to CCDF investments in out-of-school time programs, and providing information and context (about barriers, problems, opportunities) as well as practical tools that will help CCDF administrators make decisions; and
• Identifying other major programs and sectors that are potential partners for CCDF in supporting out-of-school time programs and providing models, strategies, and tools for coordination with other programs and sectors.

Contact Us:

Email:
afterschool@financeproject.org

Web:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/

The Finance Project
1401 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-587-1000
Web: www.financeproject.org

The Afterschool Investments project's State Profiles are designed to provide a comprehensive overview of noteworthy State and local initiatives across the country. Inclusion of an initiative in the Profiles does not represent an endorsement of a particular policy or practice.