TRS data trend since 2015. As of June 2018, Rural CAP reports that 2,282 children ages 0-5 are in care in the rural capital area. Of those, 459 children reside in Hays County.

What factors in Hays County are contributing to child care centers becoming certified in Texas Rising Star?

• The State is committed to supporting communities with financial investments and technical support that leads to increased quality
• Providers are interested in improving quality

What factors in Hays County are preventing child care centers becoming certified in Texas Rising Star?

• Sustainable resources in Hays County are limited due to the ongoing expenses associated with high-quality programming
• The State has increased the rigor for TRS certification, leading to an ancrease complexity and length of time to achieve 3 star rating or higher
• Requires staff and  resources 
• Funding from the State flows in a cyclical fashion, making long term sustainability difficult to plan for 
• Child Care Licensing violations render providers ineligible to achieve certification 
• Not enough parent demand for quality 
• Lack of awareness 
• Parents not empowered 
• Cultural barriers 
• The actual cost to provide care is higher than the reimbursement rate and the private pay rate that Hays County residents would be willing to accept
• Only 49 out of 90 providers are potentially eligible to become TRS

Partner and Role/Contribution

• Parents – Demand better quality, advocate for other parents’ education
• Rural Capital Board – Implement Texas Rising Star
• Texas Workforce Commission – Funding, set guidelines
• Providers – Services and rating
• School districts - Education
• Licensing – Ensure quality and provide training
• HHSC – Funding and resources
• Community Action – Adult programs and resources
• Legislators - Setting polices, making changes
• Greater San Marcos Partnerships - Supporting programs, financial support, ensuring livable wages
• Faith-Based Community – Advocates

The solutions below were determined by partners based on the factors identified during the Story Behind the Curve discussions:

Evidence-Based Practices

• Implement Reaching for the Stars with child care providers interested in the pathway to TRS certification
• Pursue Early Head Start-Childcare Partnership funding

Promising Practices

• Establish a Hays County chapter of the Texas Association of Family Child Care

No Cost/Low-Cost Solutions

• Educate CCS parents who are not in TRS schools to demand quality
• Promote better understanding about the value of quality by conducting community forum on childcare
• Partner with United Way
• Engage partners to engage model 

Off the Wall Thinking

• Require all child care services providers to participate in Reaching for the Stars 
• Develop a set of local criteria and engage nonprofits to support 

Prioritized Strategy: Implement Reaching for the Stars, a Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) that supports centers on a pathway to quality certification.

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Prioritized Strategy: Increase the number of childcare centers that are progressing towards achieving 3 stars or higher with Texas Rising Star by advocating for policy change that requires all CCS providers to actively participate in Reaching for the Stars.

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Prioritized Strategy: Pursue Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership grant funding to improve quality of existing child facilities to EHS standards.

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Prioritized Strategy: Develop a demand for quality early childhood education, by educating parents who are accessing Child Care Subsidy about the value of having their child in a center that is rated 3 stars or higher by Texas Rising Star.

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