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In accordance with Senate Bill 1265 passed by the 89th Texas Legislature, this webpage serves employers as a centralized hub for resources to support their workforce.

Assess Your Employees' Needs

Running a successful business means understanding your employees. But what happens when your employees are distracted by things outside of work? Many working parents face trouble finding reliable and affordable child care.

As an employer, it's important to understand the child care needs of your employees. It can affect their productivity, happiness, and retainability. Parents can better focus on their work when their child care needs are being supported.

So, how can you figure out what your employees need?

The first step is to ask! That's where employee surveys come in.

Why survey your employees about child care?

Imagine trying to solve a puzzle without all the pieces. That's like trying to help your employees without knowing their child care challenges. A survey can give you valuable information about the following:

  • Do your employees have trouble finding available child care near their home or work?
  • Can they afford the child care options that are available? Is it a significant financial burden?
  • What type of care do they need?
  • Are they looking for specific types of care, like in-home care or daycare centers?
  • Are they happy with their current child care situation?

You can create a more family-friendly workplace by understanding these challenges. Employers who offer child care benefits may see positive results such as:

  • Improved Morale: Employees feel valued when you show you care about their needs;
  • Reduced Absences: When child care is reliable, employees are less likely to miss work;
  • Increased Productivity: Less stress at home means more focus at work; and
  • Higher Retention: Happy employees are more likely to stay with your company.

Explore Child Care Options

There are a variety of ways that you can support child care. The resources below can help you connect your employees to high quality child care.

Need help? Not sure where to start? We have tools to help you.

TWC’s Employer Child Care Solutions (ECCS) program offers Technical Assistance (TA) to employers that want to support child care services for their workforce. Employers must have employees working in Texas. The company does not have to be based in Texas.

  • While ECCS does not provide direct funding, it helps employers:
    • Understand the child care needs of their employees; and
    • Work with child care providers to offer site-based child care.
  • TA services are specific to each employer’s needs. We will create a report, study or plan that will be shared with the employer.

View Section 5.2 of the CHIPS Workforce Development Planning Guide for more information. You can also explore more resources listed below for further guidance. 

On-site or near-site child care offers child care at or close to the workplace. This allows employees to access care for their children while they work. This reduces stress and improves focus. Licensed child care facilities may also use TWC’s Child Care Scholarships for eligible low-income families.

Employers can ensure child care availability for employees by partnering with off-site providers. These partnerships may involve:

  • Donating funds to increase capacity or prioritize children of employees;
  • Pre-paying for care slots;
  • Subsidizing cost of care or;
  • securing discounted services for employees.

TWC’s Employer Child Care Partnerships Guide provides more information.

Employers considering onsite or near-site child care for their workers can choose from a variety of operating models:

Operating ModelHow it WorksAdvantagesDisadvantages
Operated by the EmployerAn employer creates and manages a child care center. They provide the necessary space and hiring staff to run the facility.
  • Can ensure high-quality care and programs tailored to employee needs.
  • Can lower costs for both employers and employees.
  • May qualify employers for tax credits.
  • Convenient for employees.
  • Can help local families by offering additional child care slots to the community.
  • Requires significant planning and investment. This includes space for new buildings or changes to existing ones. You will need to consider licensing, insurance, and liability protections.
  • Can be expensive to set up. This may not be practical for smaller employers or those who can't open it to the public if demand is low.
  • Some employers may not want to take on the regulatory burdens of operating a child care facility.
  • Some families may not prefer this option due to different care preferences or location needs.
Operated by a ContractorAn external vendor manages child care operations in an employer provided space.
  • May need less investment than employer-operated care and reduces administrative workload.
  • By working with an experienced partner, it ensures high-quality care.
  • The vendor can open spaces to the public when there is unused capacity. This helps accommodate changes in demand. 
  • Contracting out child care can raise costs for employees. Vendors may charge more than just the cost of care, even with employer subsidies. 
  • Can reduce employer flexibility, especially when changes in hours or services are needed.
  • External vendors may not offer flexibility to meet employee needs.
Partnership with a Community-Based ProviderAn employer partners with existing provider(s) in their community to give employees preferred access to child care.
  • May result in increased employee retention, improved productivity, and a better workplace environment.
  • Employers may see reduced expenses related to turnover and employee absences.
  • These partnerships can lessen the employer’s direct involvement on daily child care operations.
  • Options may be limited if there is not a wide selection of providers in the area.

View Section 5.2 of the CHIPS Workforce Development Planning Guide for more information. You can also explore more resources listed below for further guidance.

Employers can help employees manage child care costs by partnering with local providers. You can offer discounts, subsidize care, or provide resources. This can include Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts. These options provide financial support and help employees access affordable child care services.

TWC’s Child Care Scholarships: Employees may qualify for state child care scholarships through the Child Care Services (CCS) program if their family makes 85% (or below) of the state median income. Employees can find out if they are eligible and learn more about the CCS program by visiting the Child Care & Early Learning webpage.

These pre-tax accounts help families manage the cost of child care and other eligible dependent care services. For more information see:

Employers can pay to connect employees with a broker for help locating available child care slots and advising on child care options.

Employers can also cover employee subscriptions to child care marketplaces, which offer access to networks of vetted providers and a range of child care options. Marketplaces may include child care, backup care, elder care, pet care, and other supportive services.

These services ease the process of finding reliable care providers, saving employees time and allowing them to focus more on their work.

Backup child care options can help employees meet their work commitments. Backup child care includes temporary care options when unforeseen events. This may include provider cancellations, illness, or other emergencies. Backup child care can take various forms, including:

  • On-site child care;
  • Partnerships with child care providers or back-up care services; and
  • Employee reimbursement programs.

Additional Resources for Employers & Families

  • Employer Roadmap - Childcare Solutions for Working Parents: Information on supporting working parents with child care needs. This resource is provided by the U.S. Chamber Foundation.
  • Best Place for Working Parents®: Top 10 research-backed, family-friendly policies that benefit both businesses and employees.
  • Employer Child Care Navigator: Free resource to help identify child care solutions for your business. This resource is provided by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
  • Childcare Roadmap for Employers: Helps employers build a comprehensive child care strategy for their business. This resource is provided by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.  
  • Child Care Perks You Can Offer Employees: Shares creative ways employers can attract and retain talent through child care-related supports. This article is published by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
  • Texas Health and Human Services’ Search Texas Child Care: Helps families explore child care options based on their needs. It includes provider information, operational details, compliance information, and sign-up options for updates.
  • Early Childhood Texas: Provides resources such as a child care availability search, guidance on selecting child care, information on paying for child care, and additional family support tools.
  • Understanding and Finding Child Care Resources: Explains child care options, choosing high-quality care, licensing, regulations, and related topics. This website is maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Child Care.
  • Head Start Programs: Shares information about programs that promote school readiness for children under age five, including family-based child care settings. This website is maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families.
  • Texas Child Care Connection (TX3C): Serves as a central hub for child care information and resources in one place. 

Disclaimer

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) does not and may not provide legal advice. The work and family policy resources published and linked here are intended to illustrate the kinds of policies and best practices recommended for and in use at many companies in Texas but are not official TWC policies or forms and should not be used without consultation with a licensed employment law attorney of your company’s choice.

Employers are not required to implement any employment policy or benefit detailed on this page or the centralized child care resource hub, unless required by other law.