TWC Phasing Out Emergency Child Care Programs
Texas Workforce Commission • May 20, 2020
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has begun phasing out the emergency program to subsidize childcare for Texas’ essential workers. This move comes the day after Gov. Greg Abbott announced that child care providers across the state could re-open. Subsidies were put in place to assist both essential workers and child care centers during limited enrollment. With Texas re-opening, those essential workers who are already on the subsidized plan will continue to receive child care for the three month period they were initially approved for under this program. Essential workers who have yet to apply for subsidized care have until Wednesday, May 20, 2020, to do so. Essential workers may also apply at any time for TWC’s regular subsidized child care program for low-income families if they meet eligibility requirements.
In March, TWC commissioners authorized $200 million to Local Workforce Development Boards to subsidize three months of child care for essential workers, and to support the higher costs of child care during COVID as a result of smaller class sizes. This effort aimed to help ensure that essential workers, who hadn’t planned for child care needs during regular public school days, had access to this critical support service to ensure that they could continue to work and support the COVID recovery needs. And it was aimed at supporting child care providers whose cost of care increased as a result of smaller class sized in effect during COVID. In March, TWC commissioners also authorized payments to child care providers to continue even when subsidized children were absent. And effective April 1, TWC waived the Parents’ Share of Cost (PSOC) for At-Risk Child Care. By doing so, TWC effectively paid 100 percent of the cost to providers even while children were absent. This short-term measure was put into place to ensure child care centers continued to receive full reimbursement, as parents would not pay their portion while their children were absent.
Effective June 1, TWC will reinstate the requirement for parents receiving financial assistance to pay for a portion of their costs. As children return to their centers, parents will resume paying their share of child care costs.TWC also continues to pay providers when children are absent and is paying a 25% enhanced reimbursement rate over and above what they regularly receive. If parents are unable to meet this financial obligation, costs may be waived.
In May, TWC also approved funding to help closed child care providers who were previously serving subsidized children. TWC is offering Stabilization Grants for closed providers to help defray some of their ongoing fixed costs in order to help them remain viable so they may eventually reopen.
Those in need of assistance should contact their local Workforce Board for more information on child care options in their area as well as to find information on financial assistance. Please visit the TWC Child Care webpage
or contact your local Workforce Board.
Source: Texas Workforce Commission
Deadline for applications - September 26, 2025
Workforce Solutions East Texas (WSET) and Texas Workforce Solutions -Vocational Rehabilitation Services (TWS-VRS) invite you to a celebration event on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, from 9:30 am to noon at the Longview Workforce Solutions Center located at 1905 W. Loop 281, Longview, TX 75604. At WSET, we are deeply committed to fostering an environment that welcomes all abilities in the workforce. National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is a powerful reminder of the immense talent and untapped potential that individuals with disabilities bring to our workplaces. Whether you are an employer seeking to hire individuals with disabilities, an organization championing disability rights, or someone seeking to learn more TWS-VRS we invite you to attend our upcoming event. Our event promises insightful discussions, valuable networking opportunities, stories from participants who are successfully navigating their journey after receiving services through TWS-VRS along with those business partners who have hired them. There will also be resources aimed at helping businesses take significant steps toward creating a workplace that includes all abilities on their team. Let's come together to celebrate our 80th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). We celebrate the value and talent that all Americans - including people with disabilities – bring to our businesses, organizations, and communities. Join us in the momentous occasion as we celebrate this milestone in our nation’s history.
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