Texas Providers...I Have Questions

[rmc20021]

I am thinking about moving to Texas. My daughter is moving there soon and I really want out of Michigan winters. I'm going to be 60 in a few months. The one thing that would determine if I can move there or not would be if I can start an inhome daycare there, and if it can be in a rental home.

The area is around the Arlington area.

Can anybody give me info regarding what would be necessary for licensing/registration etc in Texas. I've been trying to do some research but would like to hear from others doing care. Was wondering how many kids you can be licensed/registered for mostly and what the process would be.

[allsmiles]

hello!!
i am in dallas, about 30 min from arlington!

Texas has the listed home (3 or less children, no inspection), registered home (6 children/6 schoolage children) , licensed home (12 children total).. as long as the home is the home you live in, it will be considered a fcc.. if you do not live in the home, it will be considered a daycare.

i have been listed and registered now.. will look to have the necessary coursework done so that i can become licensed perhaps by the end of the year.

here is some info from the website..

http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/av/Child_Care/Pre-application/Types_Chart.pdf

[Texasjeepgirl]

As far as I know... the issue with having an 'in-home' daycare with regards to rental property.. would not be with Child Care Licensing.. but rather with the rental owner...
So that could be an issue... Not allot of property owners would want their renter to have an in-home child care... destruction of property.. more wear and tear on their home.. inside and out.

Another thing to be aware of is that some cities require that you apply for.. and are approved for. a 'specific use permit' in order to have an in home business in a residentially zoned area.. so this would be something important to check out for where yo decide to move...

...

As for requirements.. go to this link

Basically it goes like this..

there are 3 levels of home child care in TEXAS
LISTED, REGISTERED and LICENSED

Listed..
You pay a fee.. you register your basic information...
You do not keep more than 3 children in your home that are not your own.
Not subject to routine inspections by child care licensing...
Although.. if you are suspected of keeping more children than 3... or.. other violations.. they will arrive at your door...


Registered...
You can keep 'up to' 6 children under the age of 5.. and.. 'up to' 6 children
OVER the age of 5 (called school age).for a total of 12 children.... but.. this ration fluctuates based on the number of children that are under 18 months old.. there is a chart at the website..Although you can certainly have an assistant.. it does not change the age ratio ...

Licensed...
Must be qualified as a director of your child care home before you can apply to be LICENSED... combination of years of experience in child care.. and educational requirements..
You can keep 'up to' 8 children under the age of 4.. and 'up to' 4 more children over the age of 4...maximum of 12 children in care... but again.. dependent upon number of children that are under 18 months...
There are 2 charts for a Licensed home..
1 chart for if you work complelelty alone.. another chart if you have an assistant ...

http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Child_Care/Search_Texas_Child_Care/ppFacilitySearchDayCare.asp

[rmc20021]

I'm having a hard time believing that's all there is to it. I'm licensed in MI for 6 right now, was going to increase to 12 once I close out my foster care license...but I had to do the finger printing, background check, cpr/first aid, 3 references, furnace inspection, radon testing, physical, tb testing and probably some other things I missed.

So what I'm gathering is that all I would need (and can do in a rental) is: cpr/first aide cert, and background check in order to care for 6 preschoolers, and 6 afterschoolers as a registered provider?

[allsmiles]

I'm having a hard time believing that's all there is to it. I'm licensed in MI for 6 right now, was going to increase to 12 once I close out my foster care license...but I had to do the finger printing, background check, cpr/first aid, 3 references, furnace inspection, radon testing, physical, tb testing and probably some other things I missed.

So what I'm gathering is that all I would need (and can do in a rental) is: cpr/first aide cert, and background check in order to care for 6 preschoolers, and 6 afterschoolers as a registered provider?

oh wow.. thats ALOT of stuff .. nooo way..
the only other thing you may need is fingerprinting.. my husband needed to be fingerprinted but i cant remember if it was because he had not lived in this STATE for at least one year or this COUNTRY (he is from Jamaica).. i will look now!

[allsmiles]

okay yes.. you have to be fingerprinted if you have not lived in Texas for the last 5 years.. it was really easy tho.. register online, make the appt and it took 2 or 3 days for them to get results back

http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/av/Child_Care/Pre-application/RCCH_Application_Checklist.pdf

[Texasjeepgirl]

There is an entire application to go through.. yes..
I didn't mean to leave any of that out..that's why I included the link to website.. I was just giving you the basic brackets for the 3 tiers of home based child care in TEXAS

[rmc20021]

Yes, thank you. I would probably need to already have a house before I applied. Might just fill it out and hang onto it until time. I'm just in the beginning phases of thinking about it and wondered what would be necessary.

Sounds like it is pretty doable, as long as I can find a home to rent that would allow me to have a daycare there. Probably have something lined up before I actually moved.

Thanks so much.

[Chuckles]

I would contact the city of Arlington to verify if they have special requirements. I believe Grand Prairie has some strict child care home guidelines. You also need to have a place that has a fenced yard for children to play in. The Texas requirement for indoor space is 30 sqft per child you intend to care for. If you have questions you can't find on the internet, you can call the intake number and speak to a Licensing person during regular business hours at 214-583-4253.