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ChildCareGroup is an advocate for quality child care and works daily to support that mission. Below are descriptions of programs that have adopted quality standards for child care and the early learning
processes that support literacy and school readiness. The following information may be helpful as you are considering your options for child care.
Texas Rising Star Provider (TRS):
A TRS Provider is a child care provider that
voluntarily meets requirements that exceed the State’s minimum licensing standards for health and safety, group size, child/staff ratios, caregiver training, and age-appropriate curricula and activities for child care facilities. Certification as a Texas Rising Star Provider is available to licensed child care centers, licensed child care homes, and registered child care homes
that meet the certification criteria. CCA staff visit these facilities twice yearly to ensure that TRS
standards are met and maintained.
Accreditation:
Child Care Programs may choose to complete a
voluntary accreditation process through a national organization such as those listed below. These
programs agree to adhere to stricter standards than those of regulated programs. Achieving accreditation involves extensive self-study and validation by professionals outside the program to confirm that quality standards are met.
You may visit the web sites below for more
information and/or to conduct a search for accredited programs in your area.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), www.naeyc.org
National Early Childhood Program Accreditation, www.necpa.net
National Association of Family Child Care, www.nafcc.org
National After School Association, www.naaweb.org
Texas Early Education Model (TEEM):
TEEM was designed by the State Center for Early Childhood Development at the University of Texas Health Science Center. The Model encourages school readiness programs to share certified teachers and to integrate facility, space, professional development, and funding from Child Care, Head Start, and Pre-kindergarten sources. The critical instructional components of TEEM include:
- research-based curriculum
- ongoing professional development
through classroom mentoring
- progress monitoring of children through
personal digital assistant devices
For additional information about centers participating in the TEEM project, contact the State Center for Early Childhood Development at 713.500.3575 or visit www.childrenslearninginstitute.org/
To view the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) adopted list of research-based curricula, with strong literacy components and approved by the State Center, visit www.tea.state.tx.us/textbooks/materials/index.html
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child care programs achieving higher quality standards and supporting school readiness 
