Dallas Child Care Assistance 2026–27: Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas Scholarships, New Income Limits, the TX3C Waitlist and the 40-Absence Rule
Families in Dallas County who need help paying for child care go through one program with several names. It's the Child Care Services (CCS) program, funded by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and run locally by Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas. Its intake and case management partner, ChildCareGroup, calls it Child Care Assistance (CCA). The state's website calls the aid child care scholarships. They're all the same help.
The way you apply and keep that help changed with Texas Child Care Connection (TX3C), the statewide system TWC launched on January 13, 2025. This guide covers the new income limits effective October 1, 2026, the step-by-step online application, the waitlist check-ins you can't ignore, and a rule many families learn too late: daily attendance must be recorded, and absences are capped.
Who Can Qualify
According to the state's CCS scholarship page, your family may qualify if you live in Texas, your child is under 13 (or under 19 with a disability), and your child is a U.S. citizen or has legal immigration status. Your family must also meet program conditions, including:
income within the limit (table below),
less than $1 million in assets, and
a need for child care to work, look for work, or attend school or training.
Families experiencing homelessness, and children with a deployed military parent (if income limits are met), are also listed as eligible groups.
The hours requirement. Parents must need care to work or attend job training or education for an average of at least 25 hours a week in a single-parent family, or 50 combined hours a week in a two-parent family.
School limits. Assistance for a parent enrolled full-time in an undergraduate degree program can't exceed a cumulative 60 months, and you must show progress through continued enrollment.
Job search. Families who don't meet the hours requirement at initial eligibility can get care during an initial job search.
Income Limits, October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027
TWC's Board Contract Year 2027 chart sets these maximum gross incomes:
Family size | Annual income limit | Monthly income limit |
1 | $49,610 | $4,134 |
2 | $64,874 | $5,406 |
3 | $80,139 | $6,678 |
4 | $95,403 | $7,950 |
5 | $110,668 | $9,223 |
6 | $125,932 | $10,494 |
7 | $128,794 | $10,733 |
8 | $131,656 | $10,971 |
The chart continues up to a family of 15 and also lists weekly and biweekly limits.
What You Will Pay: Parent Share of Cost
Families with a scholarship pay part of the cost, called the parent share of cost. It's based on family size and income, and can't exceed 7% of household income. The same TWC chart lists the maximum:
Family size | Maximum parent share, monthly | Maximum parent share, annual |
2 | $378 | $4,541 |
3 | $467 | $5,610 |
4 | $557 | $6,678 |
5 | $646 | $7,747 |
These are maximums. Lower-income families pay less, according to TWC's sliding fee chart and calculator, which are linked from the scholarship page.
How to Apply, Step by Step
New applications are made online through TX3C. ChildCareGroup says families applying for the first time should use the Texas Child Care Connection site. According to TWC's application steps:
Create a Parent Central account on the TX3C site.
Log in and complete the Eligibility Screener & Waitlist Application from your dashboard.
Wait on the waitlist. Times vary by location and other factors. Every 90 days you'll get an email asking you to confirm you want to stay on the waitlist. If you don't answer, you may be removed.
Caseworker review. When Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas can enroll your family, a caseworker reviews your waitlist application and may ask for documents. You upload them in Parent Central.
Standard Application. You'll get an email and a Parent Central notice inviting you to submit the full application. It usually must be completed within two weeks, with documents proving eligibility.
Decision. Once the application is complete, board staff have 20 days to decide.
If approved: the primary parent registers for KinderConnect. If you haven't chosen a provider, you must pick one within 14 days.
Use the wait productively. TWC suggests requesting your child's immunization record, scheduling a wellness exam so the medical form can be completed, and starting to search for providers on the TX3C availability portal.
What to have ready. TWC publishes a documents list, linked from the application steps page. Generally, expect to show identity, Texas residence, household income (such as recent pay stubs), work or school hours, and your child's age and immigration status. Check the state's current list for exact requirements.
Choosing a Provider
You can use your scholarship with any provider that accepts CCS. The state scholarship page lists two eligible types. Regulated providers are those licensed or registered with Texas HHSC Child Care Regulation, or operated by the U.S. military. Relative providers must be at least 18 and related to the child, and there are rules on which relatives qualify and where care can happen. CCS can cover care during the day, before and after school, and in the evenings or on weekends.
Quality is built in. According to the state, regulated providers in CCS must also meet Texas Rising Star requirements, which go beyond minimum licensing standards. Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas also supports pre-K partnerships between public schools and child care programs. When you compare providers on the TX3C availability portal, ask about the program's Texas Rising Star rating, what its hours are, and whether it has openings for your child's age group.
Keeping Your Scholarship: Attendance and Absences
ChildCareGroup's parent letter dated August 4, 2025 explains rules that can cost you the scholarship if you ignore them:
Record attendance every day. At a licensed center, licensed home or registered home, check in using KinderSign (a tablet at the program), KinderSmart (a phone app), or the provider's own management system.
Missed a check-in? With KinderSign or KinderSmart you can go back up to 6 days to record missing attendance.
Unrecorded days count as absences, even if your child was there.
Each child can have up to 40 absences during a 12-month eligibility period. You'll get a notice at 15 and 30 absences. Those notices are informational.
Relative providers: if a relative is your provider, attendance is recorded by calling 713-242-1606 from the relative's phone. If attendance isn't recorded, the relative isn't paid.
Set up KinderConnect. It replaces the old CCA web portal. Use it to message your caseworker, submit documents and report changes. You'll need your TWIST ID/Case Number.
If a system problem stops you from recording attendance, the letter says to tell CCA right away. The phone number on the letter is 214-630-5949.
If You're Denied or Removed
TWC's page notes that not every family that applies will be found eligible, and you'll get a notification either way. If you're denied or taken off the waitlist:
Read the notice for the reason (income, hours, missing documents, or a missed 90-day confirmation).
Fix what you can and reapply. For a missed waitlist email, submit a new Eligibility Screener & Waitlist Application.
Ask about your rights. TWC's Parent Rights & Responsibilities form, on its CCS forms page, describes your rights in the program. Contact Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas or ChildCareGroup about how to dispute a decision.
Check other programs. TWC points families to the Early Childhood Eligibility Screener on the Early Childhood Texas website for other options, such as Head Start or public pre-K.
The state says the only way to learn your waitlist status is to contact your local Workforce Solutions office.
More Help
More help in Dallas: Dallas financial help guides
Related Guides
Sources
This guide gives general information. Program rules and limits can change. Confirm with Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas before you apply.
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