On this page:
- Overview
- Who is eligible to receive 2022 Child Care Relief Funding (CCRF)?
- Application Process
- Quarterly Reporting Process
- How much funding can eligible providers expect to receive?
- What can 2022 Child Care Relief Funds be used for?
- Where can I receive assistance?
- Reporting Suspected Fraud and Alleged Misuse of Funds
Overview
Good news – Child Care Relief Funding 2022 is here!
On October 19, 2021, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) approved
distribution of $2.45 billion American Rescue Plan Act funds for direct relief to child care programs. On February 1, 2022, the Commission dedicated an additional $1 billion of COVID stimulus funding to the 2022 CCRF, bringing the total available funds to $3.45 billion.
Eligible providers received an invitation email from TWC with instructions to apply in March, 2022. TWC accepted applications for the Child Care Relief Fund from eligible providers on a rolling basis until May 31, 2022. The deadline for all providers spend award funding is November 30, 2023.
Browse through our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more details about the program or view additional resources on our childcare.texas.gov webpage. More information can be found on the following links:
- Status of the CCRF 2022
- Webinar hosted by Aaron Demerson, Commissioner Representing Employers, featuring a panel of employment law experts on how to support your employees and manage your business with the Child Care Relief Fund (June 2022)
- Quarterly Reporting Guide in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese (May 2022)
- Flyer on the CCRF 2022 in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese (April 2022)
- Press release announcing additional funding available (February 2022)
- Press release regarding this funding in English and Spanish
(October 2021)
Providers can receive help from our Technical Assistance team by emailing CCReliefFunds@trelliscompany.org or calling 1-833-613-3192. Agents are ready to speak to you in a variety of languages.
Who is eligible to receive 2022 Child Care Relief Funding (CCRF)?
To be eligible for the 2022 CCRF, providers must be:
- Open to provide child care services at the time of application OR be temporarily closed due to public health, financial hardship, or other COVID-19–related reasons at the time of application (with plans to reopen within 30 days);
- Actively licensed or registered in the State of Texas with Child Care Regulation by February 28, 2022;
- In good standing with Child Care Regulation; and
- Committed to remaining open through at least May 2023.
Application Process
Each eligible child care provider received an application link through the secure email address on file with, and that you use to log in to, the Child Care Regulation portal. These email invitations were sent on a rolling basis in March 2022. Applications were accepted until May 31, 2022. Once you have received your invitation email, you can log-into the application system.
Please view our walk-through video of the application portal by clicking on the links below. This video is available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. This video shows each step of the application system and each question that providers must answer.
You may also read through our written Application Guide available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
For more information, please email CCReliefFunds@Trelliscompany.org or call 1-833-613-3192.
Quarterly Reporting Process
Providers approved for the 2022 CCRF will receive their funds in four, equal payments. The first payment is usually mailed within 7 days of the application approval date. To continue receiving funding, providers must submit quarterly reports on how they spent their award. Providers will also be asked to report if they offered tuition or copayment relief for families during each payment period. These reports will be required every three months, before the next payment is scheduled. Failure to log in and fulfill reporting requirements may prevent providers from receiving quarterly funds in a timely manner. Providers must also submit a final report after they have expended all their funds.
When you complete your quarterly reporting, please also ensure that your mailing address is still listed correctly. If your mailing address needs to be updated, please contact our Technical Assistance team for support.
To learn more, view our Quarterly Reporting Guide and Video, also available in Spanish and Vietnamese.
How much funding can eligible providers expect to receive?
Base funding amounts are calculated using the child care program's licensed capacity and the 75th percentile of the average daily local market rate for child care in their area, for all age groups. This mirrors the methodology used for the 2021 Child Care Relief Fund. This amount will be multiplied by 22, reflecting the number of days per month child care is provided over one year, and then by a multiplier of 3.2725.
Providers may be eligible for an enhanced funding amount on top of their base funding if the child care program is Texas Rising Star certified, nationally accredited, resides in a child care desert, and/or based on their area's Texas Social Vulnerability Index score.
More details on how base rates and enhanced funding is calculated are included in our Frequently Asked Questions. For more information on how your child care program’s funding amount is calculated, please contact CCReliefFunds@trelliscompany.org.
What can 2022 Child Care Relief Funds be used for?
2022 Child Care Relief Funds are for expenses necessary to maintain or resume operation of your program, including for fixed costs and increased operating expenses. Examples of allowable expenses include: rent or mortgage, insurance, utilities (gas, electric, water, sewer, phone, internet), payroll and personnel (salaries, wages, benefits), personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies/services, maintenance, and supplies.
Providers may choose how to allocate their funds across these categories but must provide relief from tuition or copayments to the extent possible. Learn more about how to develop a tuition assistance policy by reading our guide.
The 2022 CCRF can also be used to offer wage supplements and one-time bonuses to attract and retain high-quality staff, including hiring or retention bonuses, paid time off, and other supports. To learn more about how to support your staff with your 2022 CCRF, view our Child Care Workforce Support Provider Decision Tool in English and Spanish.
September 2022 Update:
As of September 2022, the deadline to spend 2022 CCRF awards has been extended to November 30, 2023 for all providers. Providers must document all uses of 2022 CCRF funding by the end of December 2023. If a program wishes to return unused funds that have already been received, please email CCReliefFunds@trelliscompany.org or call 1-833-643-3192.
More details on options for uses of funds under these categories are included in our Frequently Asked Questions.
Where can I receive assistance?
For additional questions, help updating your mailing address, or for other technical assistance, please reach out to our technical assistance team by emailing CCReliefFunds@trelliscompany.org or calling 1-833-613-3192. Agents are ready to speak to you in a variety of languages.
Hours:
8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
For additional tools and resources on the CCRF, or to receive assistance from a Business Coach, please view our childcare.texas.gov webpage.
Reporting Suspected Fraud and Alleged Misuse of Funds
TWC is committed to promoting integrity within the Child Care Relief Fund program. As part of this commitment, TWC has developed a Fraud Hotline, where individuals can report alleged misuse of CCRF funds or other fraudulent activity. To contact the CCRF Fraud Hotline, please call 1-833-880-0315 or email CCRFFraud@trelliscompany.org between 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Tips for reporting:
- Be as specific as possible about the allegation
- Provide information about the individuals or providers involved
- Explain details in writing and share any documentation available
Contacts
For more information, contact:
Child Care Relief Fund Technical Assistance Team
CCReliefFunds@trelliscompany.org 1-833-613-3192
To chat with an agent and find additional resources, visit childcare.texas.gov.
Hours:
8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
To report suspected fraud and alleged misuse of funds, contact our CCRF Fraud Hotline at 833-880-0315 or CCRFFraud@trelliscompany.org
