important Resources & Information for parents
HIGHLAND IS a TRS (4) STAR CENTER!
LEARN MORE BELOW ABOUT TEXAS RISING STAR!
The Texas Rising Star program is a quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) for child care programs participating in the Texas Workforce Commission’s (TWC) Child Care Services program.
Texas Child Care Regulation Department
Texas Health and Human Services protects children by regulating and educating childcare providers. Childcare Regulation responsibilities include:
- Regulating all child-care operations and child-placing agencies to protect the health, safety, and well-being of children in care.
- Permitting and monitoring operations and agencies for compliance with state regulation standards, rules and laws.
- Investigating complaints alleging violations of minimum standards in childcare and residential childcare operations.
- Informing parents and the public about childcare, including how specific childcare and residential childcare operations are complying with minimum standards of care.
- Giving child-care providers technical assistance on meeting CCR minimum standards, rules, and laws.
Apply for Childcare Financial Assistance
Texas Workforce Solutions & The Texas Workforce Commission assist working parents, parents attending school, or parents looking for a better career choice with affordable childcare.
Workforce Solutions is interested in helping families in need by providing childcare assistance scholarships to those who qualify.
Why? To promote long-term self-sufficiency by enabling parents to work or attend education activities.
This program strives to educate parents about the availability of quality childcare, enhance children’s early learning, and support early learning programs working to improve the quality of childcare scholarships.
Farm to Early Care and Education ECE
Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) is a set of strategies and activities for the ECE setting. Farm to ECE provides children in the ECE setting the following benefits, according to the National Farm to School Network:
- Increased access to healthy, regionally produced foods through local purchasing.
- Opportunities for hands-on gardening experience.
- Nutrition, food, and agricultural education.
Farm to ECE activities, such as gardening, farm visits, and taste-testing fresh food from local farms, teach children about healthy food by engaging all five senses. Farm to ECE can increase children’s fruit and vegetable intake and willingness to try new fruits and vegetables. This can improve young children’s diet and wellness.
Child and Adult Care Food Program
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federal program that provides reimbursements for nutritious meals and snacks to eligible children and adults who are enrolled for care at participating childcare centers, day care homes, and adult day care centers.
CACFP also provides reimbursements for meals served to children and youth participating in afterschool care programs, children residing in emergency shelters, and adults over the age of 60 or living with a disability and enrolled in day care facilities.
CACFP contributes to the wellness, healthy growth, and development of young children and adults in the United States.
Texas Association for the Education of Young Children
The Texas Association for the Education of Young Children is a professional membership association that works to increase access to high-quality early childhood education and to advance a diverse, well-prepared, and well-compensated early childhood profession.
With nearly 3,000 members and 20 local chapters, TXAEYC is the largest membership organization in the state of Texas for early childhood professionals and is committed to providing programs and services that equitably meet the needs of young children, their families, and early childhood professionals. We are an affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Southern Early Childhood Association, and the associate degree Early Childhood Teacher Educators.
