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TITLE 40SOCIAL SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE
PART 20TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION
CHAPTER 809CHILD CARE SERVICES
SUBCHAPTER GTEXAS RISING STAR PROGRAM
RULE §809.131Requirements for the Texas Rising Star Program

(a) A regulated child care provider is eligible for certification under the Texas Rising Star program if the provider has a current agreement to serve Commission-subsidized children and:

  (1) has a permanent (nonexpiring) license or registration from CCR;

  (2) has at least 12 months of licensing history with CCR, and is not on:

    (A) corrective action with a Board pursuant to Subchapter F of this chapter;

    (B) a "Notice of Freeze" with the Commission pursuant to Texas Labor Code, Chapter 213 (Enforcement of the Texas Unemployment Compensation Act) or Chapter 61 (Payment of Wages); or

    (C) corrective or adverse action with CCR; and

  (3) meets the criteria for star-level certification in the Texas Rising Star guidelines pursuant to §809.130(d) of this subchapter.

  (4) has, at minimum, a center director account registered in the Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System Workforce Registry; or

  (5) is regulated by and in good standing with the United States Military.

(b) Regulated child care providers not meeting the Texas Rising Star certification requirements described in this subchapter and established in the Texas Rising Star guidelines shall be initially designated as Entry Level if the child care provider:

  (1) is not on corrective or adverse action with CCR; and

  (2) does not exceed the points threshold for high and medium-high CCR deficiencies within the most recent 12-month period as established in the guidelines.

(c) A provider initially meeting the requirements in subsection (b) of this section is eligible for mentoring services through the Texas Rising Star program during the time periods described in subsections (d) - (f) of this section.

(d) A provider shall be initially designated as Entry Level for no more than 24 months unless approved for a waiver under subsection (f) of this section.

(e) An Entry Level provider will be reviewed for Texas Rising Star certification no later than the end of the 12th month of the 24-month period. If an Entry Level provider is not eligible for certification as Texas Rising Star by the end of the 18th month, the provider shall not receive referrals for new families as an Entry Level provider, unless the provider is located in a child care desert or serves an underserved population, and is approved by the Agency to accept new family referrals.

(f) The Agency may approve a waiver to extend the time limit under subsection (d) of this section if the provider is:

  (1) located in a child care desert or serves an underserved population as determined by the Agency;

  (2) unable to meet the certification requirements due to a federal or state declared emergency/disaster; or

  (3) unable to meet the certification requirements due to conditions that the Agency determines are outside the provider's control.

(g) Waivers approved under subsection (f) of this section shall not exceed a total of 36 months.


Source Note: The provisions of this §809.131 adopted to be effective February 16, 2015, 40 TexReg 708; amended to be effective January 8, 2019, 44 TexReg 114; amended to be effective January 25, 2021, 46 TexReg 593; amended to be effective October 3, 2022, 47 TexReg 6437

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