The Texas Workforce Commission reported earlier this month the unemployment rate in the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area rose from May 2024 to June 2024.
The unemployment rate rose to 3.8%, or 56,143 unemployed residents. Despite this uptick, Austin’s unemployment rate remains below the state and national averages of 4.5% and 4.3%, respectively.
In response to the unemployment rate, the Workforce Solutions Capital Area will host a director and teacher symposium in August in collaboration with Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area.
On July 1, 2024, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) will launch a new case management system for the Child Care Services (CCS) program—Texas Child Care Connections (TX3C). Below is more information about upcoming changes to policies and procedures resulting from the TX3C launch.
Transition Period
The system we use to manage parent and provider files will be unavailable starting at 6pm on Tuesday June 25 through June 30. There may be delays during the transition period in the following services:
Processing new provider agreements/updates
Payments
We may not be able to answer questions regarding parent eligibility until after June 30
Processing waitlist applications beginning June 14
New Statewide Application for Families
TX3C will include an online statewide application for parents who are applying to the Child Care Services (CCS) program. The application is web-based and mobile device–friendly. Be advised our local online waitlist application will be removed from our website on Monday June 17 and will be temporarily unavailable. The new Statewide application will be made available on our website on July 1. Workforce Solutions Capital Area CCS will continue to determine eligibility for CCS families, manage a waiting list, authorize services, and pay child care providers.
Improvements to Provider Payments
Beginning July 2024, providers will receive payment for authorized child care before care is provided (similar to private-paying families that pay tuition beforehand). Additional details regarding prospective payments:
Payments will cover two-week periods, Monday-Sunday; you will be paid for the days that a child has been authorized to attend your program at the beginning of each two-week payment period.
Payments for children enrolled during the 2nd week of the payment period will not be made in advance but will be paid on the next payment run, typically 1-3 weeks after service.
The first two-week payment period beginning July 1 will be transitional, and payments may not be issued until July 5.
The Texas Workforce Commission will issue a Statewide payment calendar. This calendar will detail each two-week payment period and the schedule for issuing provider payments for each cycle. We will share this calendar with you as soon as it is made available.
If you receive an overpayment for a child whose authorization changes or ends during a period for which payment has already been made, we will adjust a future payment(s) to recover the overpayment.
TX3C will determine each child’s age group based on the first day of the two-week billing cycle. In other words, if a child has a birthday that places them in the next age group, the change will not be applied until the beginning of the next pay period.
TX3C will base the prospective payment on the provider’s location (Board area), rather than the child’s residence. The change will ensure that payments reflect the market rates and costs where the provider operates. In other words, child care providers in Travis County managed by Workforce Solutions Capital Area will be reimbursed based on Capital Area Board’s rates. This applies even if the child is referred by neighboring Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Board.
Parent Share of Cost
To align with the new two-week payment schedule, Parent Share of Cost (PSoC) will be recalculated to weekly fees. We will inform you of each family’s weekly PSoC amount, which will be converted from their current monthly rate, in the coming weeks.
Because the PSoC will appear as weekly deductions on your statement, collecting fees on a weekly or bi-weekly interval will help ensure your payments are accurate. This change will also affect our local non-pay reporting requirements that allow providers to be reimbursed for unpaid PSoC, when reported timely. We will notify you of the new reporting procedures in the coming weeks.
Child Attendance
CCS staff will use the new time and attendance features in TX3C to monitor attendance. In accordance with your agreement, you must ensure that parents record attendance directly in TX3C or through an approved child care management system (CMS) that uploads CCS attendance data to TX3C. Additionally, please make sure the new attendance system or CMS is accessible to parents so they can record attendance. More information about the attendance tracking system is available at https://tx3c.info.
Your payments are not affected by a child’s occasional absences—payment is based on the child care authorized. However, a child’s eligibility may be affected if they are not consistently attending.
Absence tracking will resume on July 1 and children with more than 40 total unexplained absences in a 12-month eligibility period risk the loss of their child care scholarship. Unexplained absences may include:
Absence that is not due to a child’s documented chronic illness or disability, or to a court-ordered custody or visitation agreement; or
Attendance not recorded by parent that cannot be explained, except if the attendance reporting system is not available through no fault of the parent or provider.
Child Transfers
Effective July 1, voluntary transfers of children between child care providers are not permitted until the start of the second pay period following the parent request, approximately 3-4 weeks after the request was submitted. Limited number of exceptions may be approved for reasons like valid health and safety concerns, court-ordered visitation, etc. Additional guidance will be forthcoming.
Expanded Age Groups
A new state law requires TWC to match age groups for provider payments with Child Care Regulation age groups and TX3C will support this change. You will be able to designate rates for more age groups, as demonstrated in the following table.
Rate Groups before July 1, 2024
New Rate Groups effective July 1, 2024
Infant: 0–17 months
Infant-0: 0–11 months Infant-1: 12–17 months
Toddler: 18 months–2 years
Toddler-1: 18–23 months Toddler-2: 2 years
Preschool: 3–5 years
Preschool-3: 3 years Preschool-4: 4 years Preschool-5: 5 years
School Age: 6–*12 years
School Age: 6–*12 years (no changes for this age group)
*Eligible child with disabilities may be served up until the age of 19
Please wait to initiate any changes to your rate agreement. We will request updated rates from providers in the coming months and will ensure all rate addendums are completed by the TWC deadline of October 1.
Stay up to date on the progress of this change by visiting our website at wfscapitalarea.com. CCS families have also been notified of these upcoming changes. To see a copy of the parent notification and learn more about the changes unique to families, please click here. If you have questions, you can contact us by e-mail at ccsproviderservices@wfscapitalarea.com or by phone at 512-597-7191, option 4.
On July 1, 2024, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) will launch a new case management system for the Child Care Services (CCS) program—Texas Child Care Connections (TX3C). We will provide more information on how you access the new system within the next month. Workforce Solutions Capital Area CCS will continue to manage your CCS case, determine eligibility, and manage the local waiting list. Below is more information about upcoming changes to policies and procedures resulting from the TX3C launch.
Transition Period
The system we use to manage your case will be unavailable starting at 6pm on Tuesday June 25 through Sunday June 30. There may be some delays in the following services:
We may not be able to answer questions about your case until after June 30.
If your eligibility is due to be recertified around the suspension period, please make every effort to submit all your eligibility documents by June 20.
Please submit any summer or back-to-school changes by June 20. This will help us to complete your case changes without delay.
TX3C is scheduled to launch on July 1. Some services may be slower than usual as staff learn about the new system.
New Statewide Online Application for Families
TX3C will include an online statewide application for parents. This application will be used to apply for our waitlist or when recertifying for a new eligibility period in the CCS program. Our local online waitlist application will be removed starting Monday, June 17 and will remain temporarily unavailable. The new Statewide application will be made available on our website on July 1 and feature the following:
A new statewide application for families
Easy-to-use and works with mobile devices
A common user experience for all Texans
Absence Tracking
Absence tracking will resume on July 1, and you will be responsible for complying with TWC’s attendance standards. Children with over 40 total unexplained absences in a 12-month eligibility period risk losing their scholarship. You are required to report your child’s attendance using the attendance reporting system located at your provider’s location or through the mobile app (if available for your provider).
Unexplained absences may include:
Absence that is not due to a child’s documented chronic illness or disability, or to a court-ordered custody or visitation agreement; or
Attendance not recorded by parent that cannot be explained, except if the attendance reporting system is not available through no fault of the parent or provider.
Absences due to a child’s documented chronic illness, disability, court-ordered visitation are not counted in the number of unexplained absences. Documentation must be submitted to support these types of absences.
Parent Share of Cost (PSoC)
Change to Weekly Rate
Effective July 1, your Parent Share of Cost (PSoC), also known as your parent fee, will be calculated on a per week basis. In the coming weeks, we will share the specific amount of your weekly fee. Your weekly fee will be calculated from your current monthly fee, ensuring that your total cost does not go up. Although CCS will be assigning you a weekly fee, please talk to your child care provider to determine how often they want to collect your fee.
New Calculation
TWC has approved a new way to calculate your Parent Share of Cost (PSoC). Your current PSoC will remain the same unless you report a change in income or family size. We will use the new calculation beginning with your next eligibility period. You may request a review of your PSoC before your recertification if you have experienced a change in income, family size, or have an extenuating financial situation.
What’s changing?
The new sliding fee scale for PSoC will be statewide.
If you relocate to another area of the state and transfer your care, your PSoC will remain the same.
The new scale will also have more gradual increases for families with rising incomes.
Child Transfers
Starting July 1, child transfer requests will start at the second pay period following your request, approximately 3-4weeks after the request was submitted. A limited number of exceptions may be approved to transfer your child before the start of the second pay period for reasons like valid health and safety concerns, court-ordered visitation, etc.
To stay up to date on the progress of these changes, please visit our website at www.wfscapitalarea.com. If you have questions, you can contact us by e-mail at austinccs@wfscapitalarea.com or by phone at 512-597-7191.
Austin city leaders are working to build out a grant program to help provide financial assistance for certain home-based child care providers, according to a city memo released last week.
Austin Public Health and the city’s Economic Development Department are recommending the new grant program be enacted, with the following eligibility criteria:
Many child care providers are having a hard time filling positions, putting extra pressure on the workers they already have.
Local advocates and government leaders are working to help places hire qualified workers.
“We aim to promote the recruitment and retention of early childhood professionals,” said Cristela Perez-Riddel, program director for the Child Care Services Program at Workforce Solutions Capital Area.
Catch up quick: To celebrate the start of Week of the Young Child, we hosted our first-ever Family Celebration & Resource Fair with food, fun, and lots of resources for families on April 6!
Why it matters: Workforce Solutions Capital Area supports eligible families in Travis County with affordable, high-quality child care options with child care scholarships.
What happened: 63 families attended to learn about community resources, enjoy a story time reading with their children, practice CPR for infants and children, and more!
What they’re saying: We surveyed the families and 100% said they would attend next year!
“Thank you for inviting us! “
“This was a great event! We loved story time!”
“I enjoyed myself as did my children.”
“Everything was great, super informative and helpful and not painful experience either. Glad we came.”
“It was awesome, informative!
Workforce Solutions Capital Area Child Care Services helps families and providers through scholarships to afford quality care, partnership to increase the quality of early childhood education, and support with job search and business services. Learn more about how we promote positive child outcomes.
Childcare options are set to be incorporated in an infrastructure academy which will train skilled workforce members.
The City of Austin has partnered with Austin Community College and several others to create the infrastructure academy, where they are training the next generation of the construction workforce to help with major projects across the city such as the I-35 expansion and Project Connect.
Representatives from one of the partners, Workforce Solutions, said they are researching what people need as they plan what the program will look like.
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has awarded a total of $175,000 to Workforce Solutions Capital Area and Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area through Child Care Employment Connections Awards. This performance-based award recognizes local workforce development boards (Boards) for their work in connecting at-risk parents with sufficient employment.
The Child Care Employment Connections Awards recognize boards that were the most successful in helping make employment connections for unemployed parents whose children are receiving child care assistance.
“We’re honored to be recognized for this critical support to help Austin-Travis County parents,” said Tamara Atkinson, Chief Executive Officer at WSCA. “We help parents gain and keep employment, and also increase earning potential. Parents who receive child care assistance through us see an annual wage increase of over $6,300.”
With a rapidly expanding economy, Texas leads the nation in job growth, but faces higher unemployment and poverty rates than the U.S. as a whole. The state’s workforce development leaders say connecting employees to training programs, child care services and continuing education are crucial to keeping pace with growth.
Tamara Atkinson, CEO of Workforce Solutions Capital Area, a nonprofit organization that helps Travis County residents find career training and job opportunities, said Texas needs to act fast to prepare workers for the future.
“If our job is to find and prepare and support the workers, we need to recognize the additional thing — the support that they need to be successful in their skill training and on the job,” Atkinson said at a Texas Tribune event Wednesday morning.
