Child Care

Welcome to the Texas AgriLife Extension Service’s child care website! Child care providers play a vital role in caring for America’s children. According to recent estimates, over 13 million children under the age of five receive some type of non–parental care on a regular basis. Further estimates indicate that approximately 24 million school-age children and youth are in need of some form of after-school care.

The quality of care that children receive does matter! Children who receive high quality care develop better language, math, and social skills, exhibit fewer behavior problems, and tend to be better prepared for entrance into school. On this site, you will find research-based information on child care related issues, including newsletters, fact sheets, and on-line courses for child care providers to satisfy state mandated training requirements.