TWC Restores Attendance Requirements For Subsidized Child Care

AUSTIN –The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) announced the reinstatement of subsidized child care attendance requirements. These requirements were temporarily suspended by a waiver in mid-March, at a time when only children of essential workers were eligible to attend regulated child care facilities.

On May 19, 2020, regulated child care was opened to all parents. As the Texas economy continues to reopen, and greater numbers of families begin using these facilities, reinstating the requirements is appropriate.

Parents must begin recording their child’s daily attendance, because effective July 20, 2020, TWC will again begin counting the number of days children are absent from child care.

Children in subsidized child care programs are generally allowed 40 unexplained absences during a year. This requirement will be reinstated, but due to the disruption of COVID-19, all children’s absences will be reset to zero, effective July 20, 2020.

All parents will be required to once again record their children’s attendance using the state’s child care automated attendance system.

Absences will begin to count again and child care services can end if the 40 unexplained absences limit is reached for a child within their 12 month eligibility period.

Any absences that are due to the child or the child’s family being instructed to self-isolate or quarantine, based on instructions from a medical professional, the health department, or another state or local entity, would not be counted towards the 40 unexplained absence limit.