Our Programs
Every parent in every neighborhood should have quality early care and education options for their child. Across our city, state and nation, we can do better to increase the availability, affordability, and accessibility of quality child care programs
In response, ChildCareGroup is piloting a ‘neighborhood hub’ approach, through which we coordinate mentoring and quality advancement activities for providers, professional development programs for teachers, and parent engagement programs around child care centers located in close proximity to one another. Our over-arching goal is to further professionalize and stabilize the child care industry and increase the number of quality care options for parents.
Texas Rising Star Quality Initiatives
Texas Rising Star (TRS) is the child care quality rating system for the state of Texas. Participating providers obtain a 2 star, 3 star, or 4 star assessment of quality. Providers who wish to begin the TRS quality process, or improve their star rating, are assigned a ChildCareGroup mentor, who provides guidance on strategies to improve every aspect of their program, from classroom management to nutrition and physical activity to lowered teacher-child ratios. Providers with higher TRS star ratings receive higher reimbursement rates through the child care subsidy program.
- 95 Texas Rising Star 4-Star Providers
- 125 Texas Rising Star early childhood facilities
Leadership Development and Mentoring
A commitment to quality child care begins with the center’s owner or director. ChildCareGroup offers several series-based leadership programs designed to help the child care center owner or director develop a vision and understanding of quality.
- Director’s Toolbox – Based on the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership program to teach child care directors about leadership, change management, healthy work climates and decision making.
Early Childhood Teacher Career Pathways
We encourage the career development of early childhood educators and support a career lattice that helps teachers progress from a Child Development Associate (CDA) certification to an AA degree to a BA degree or higher. We are proud to work with Dallas County Community College District, Lamar Institute for Technology and others in support of this work.
Child Care Professional Training
ChildCareGroup provides more than 15,000 professional development hours to more than 6,100 early learning professionals each year. Topics include business skills, leadership, CPR, transportation safety, managing staff performance and preventing child abuse and neglect.
Healthy Start, Healthy Children
Healthy Start, Healthy Children is a childhood obesity prevention program based on the successful nutrition and physical activity programs offered in our own centers. We train program directors, teachers and cooks from child care centers and family child care homes to enhance their own programs on a budget. Children form most of their health habits at early ages. Because child care settings provide two-thirds of children’s daily nutrition, integrating healthy nutrition practices and physical activity into mainstream care settings will be essential to reducing and preventing childhood obesity in our state.
