Texas's Childcare Quality Rating System: What It Means for Directors and Staff
Texas's quality rating and improvement system is Texas Rising Star, run by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).
If your center serves children in TWC's Child Care Services (CCS) scholarship program, participation is mandatory: since October 2, 2022, those programs must participate at least at Entry Level and have a maximum of 24 months to reach star-level certification.
Beyond Entry Level sit three star levels — Two-Star, Three-Star and Four-Star — tied to higher CCS payment rates.
This page reads it from the director's and staff's side.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
Texas Rising Star (TRS).
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).
Required at least at Entry Level for programs serving children in TWC's Child Care Services (CCS) scholarship program since October 2, 2022, with a maximum of 24 months to attain star-level certification.
Entry Level, then three certification levels: Two-Star, Three-Star and Four-Star.
Not established in our research — ask TWC or your local Workforce Board.
A points-based Texas Rising Star measure has recognized staff participation in the TECPDS Workforce Registry since September 2024.
Texas rating levels
- Entry LevelRating level
The floor of Texas Rising Star, and the level every program serving children in TWC's CCS scholarship program must hold; star-level certification is attained on top of it.
- Two-StarRating level
The first certification level above Entry Level.
- Three-StarRating level
The second certification level above Entry Level.
- Four-StarRating level
The third of the three certification levels above Entry Level, after Two-Star and Three-Star.
What is Texas's QRIS called, and is participation required?
Texas Rising Star is the Texas Workforce Commission's quality rating and improvement system.
Programs certified under it meet a level of quality that exceeds the standards HHSC Child Care Regulation sets for licensing, so the rating sits on top of the license rather than replacing it.
Participation is tied to subsidy: since October 2, 2022, every program serving children in TWC's Child Care Services (CCS) scholarship program must participate at least at Entry Level, and programs serving CCS children have a maximum of 24 months to attain star-level certification.
“Texas Rising Star programs meet a level of quality that exceeds Child Care Regulation standards.”
What are the Texas Rising Star rating levels?
Entry Level is the floor of participation, not one of the certification levels: programs serving CCS children attain star-level certification on top of Entry Level.
Beyond Entry Level, Texas Rising Star has three certification levels — Two-Star, Three-Star and Four-Star.
TWC ties these certification levels to higher payment rates for children enrolled in the CCS program, which makes the star rating a direct budget line for a center that enrolls subsidized children.
What staff credentials and training count toward a higher rating?
The staff-qualification criteria behind each star level live in TWC's Texas Rising Star guidelines, and our research could not read that document.
This page therefore does not list the credentials or training hours that earn points at Two-Star, Three-Star or Four-Star, and you should not build a credential plan around point totals you have not confirmed.
Get the current guidelines from TWC or your local Workforce Board.
What our research did confirm: since September 2024, Texas Rising Star has included a points-based measure that acknowledges staff who participate in the Workforce Registry (TECPDS).
Which observation tool does Texas Rising Star use?
Our research did not confirm which classroom observation tool or assessment approach Texas Rising Star uses, so this page names none.
Confirm the current assessment approach with TWC or with the mentor your local Workforce Board assigns, before you schedule staff training around a specific instrument.
What incentives come with higher ratings — for the center and for staff?
Benefits TWC lists for Texas Rising Star programs include enhanced CCS payment rates, a mentor assigned by the local Workforce Board, and preferred access to professional development, grants, stipends and materials.
The payment-rate benefit scales with the rating, since certification levels are tied to higher CCS payment rates.
For individual staff, the measure our research confirmed is the points-based recognition of TECPDS Workforce Registry participation, in place since September 2024.
Our research did not confirm a Texas Rising Star staff bonus schedule; ask your director or local Workforce Board what supports reach individual staff.
“Workforce Boards assign programs a mentor to provide support in achieving and maintaining certification.”
How do directors prepare for a Texas Rising Star rating?
TWC's published certification process has three steps — an interest form, mentoring and goal setting, then a request for assessment — and programs must complete all three within a two-year timeframe.
A program serving CCS children is also working against the maximum of 24 months to attain star-level certification.
The mentor a Workforce Board assigns is part of the design, so the goal-setting step is where a director turns the certification criteria into a staffing and training plan, including staff TECPDS participation so the registry measure can count.
“The certification process entails three steps programs must complete within a two-year timeframe.”
How the TECPDS workforce registry fits in
The workforce registry in the Texas Rising Star measure is the Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System (TECPDS), at public.tecpds.org, which also houses the Texas Trainer Registry.
Since September 2024, TWC's points-based Texas Rising Star measure has acknowledged staff who participate in it.
The registry also feeds the CDA: the Council for Professional Recognition accepts workforce registry transcripts from all U.S. state and territory workforce registries.
Whether licensing separately requires TECPDS membership was not confirmed in our research.
What has changed in Texas Rising Star recently
TWC conducts a comprehensive review of Texas Rising Star every four years; the most recent workgroup review was 2023, with 2024 revisions presented July 25, 2024.
The Entry Level mandate for programs serving CCS scholarship children dates to October 2, 2022.
The most recent staff-facing change in our research is the points-based TECPDS Workforce Registry measure, which TWC implemented in September 2024.
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the Texas licensing rules, agency pages and other sources listed below, as read for this state-by-state quality rating system (QRIS) series, current as of October 2026. It is not a substitute for the instructions the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) publishes. For the rest of the picture in Texas, see daycare director requirements in Texas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all Texas childcare centers have to join Texas Rising Star?
The requirement TWC publishes is tied to subsidy: since October 2, 2022, every program serving children in TWC's Child Care Services (CCS) scholarship program must participate in Texas Rising Star at least at Entry Level, with a maximum of 24 months to attain star-level certification.
Certified programs meet quality that exceeds Child Care Regulation licensing standards.
If your program's CCS participation is changing, ask your local Workforce Board how the requirement applies to you.
What is the highest Texas Rising Star rating?
Four-Star — the third certification level beyond the Entry Level.
Beyond Entry Level, Texas Rising Star has three certification levels — Two-Star, Three-Star and Four-Star — and TWC ties them to higher payment rates for children enrolled in the CCS program.
The criteria and points behind each level are set out in TWC's Texas Rising Star guidelines, which our research could not read, so confirm current requirements with TWC before you chase points.
Does Texas Rising Star pay teachers or staff bonuses?
Our research did not confirm a Texas Rising Star staff bonus.
The benefits TWC lists for Texas Rising Star programs include enhanced CCS payment rates, a Workforce Board-assigned mentor, and preferred access to professional development, grants, stipends and materials.
The staff-facing measure our research confirmed is points-based recognition, since September 2024, of staff who participate in the TECPDS Workforce Registry.
Ask your director or local Workforce Board what supports reach individual staff.
How long does it take to get Texas Rising Star certified?
The process TWC publishes has three steps — an interest form, mentoring and goal setting, and a request for assessment — completed within a two-year timeframe.
A program serving CCS children also has a maximum of 24 months to attain star-level certification.
Because the mentoring step is built in, the timeline doubles as the preparation window: use it to align staff training and registry participation with the certification criteria.
Is Texas Rising Star the same as a childcare license?
No. A Texas child care center is licensed by the Child Care Regulation department of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission under the Minimum Standards in 26 TAC Chapter 746.
Texas Rising Star is a separate system, run by the Texas Workforce Commission, whose certified programs meet a level of quality that exceeds Child Care Regulation standards.
Certification adds a quality rating on top of a licensed operation.
More Texas Resources
Sources
- Texas Workforce Commission — Texas Rising Star (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- About Texas Rising Star (TWC child care provider site) (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Getting Certified — Texas Rising Star (TWC child care provider site) (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- TWC 2026–2028 Child Care Strategic Plan (PDF) (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System (TECPDS) (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- CDA Council — NWRA-approved state workforce registries (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Texas HHSC Minimum Standards for Child-Care Centers (26 TAC Chapter 746) (retrieved 2026-10-05)
Sourced from the documents listed above. Verified October 2026. This is career and employer information, not licensing or legal advice. Confirm current rules with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).