Texas Rising Star is Texas's voluntary daycare quality rating, awarded from a 2-star entry level up to 4-star, where higher levels reflect higher program standards. Because joining is optional, not every licensed Texas program carries a Texas Rising Star level — so a missing rating does not, on its own, mean a program is weaker.
If you are comparing daycares in Texas and you see a Texas Rising Star level, this guide explains what it measures, who licenses programs, how to confirm it, and how it connects to cost and subsidy. The aim is to help you treat the rating as one input, not the whole decision. Texas Rising Star is run by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) with Local Workforce Development Boards, inside the broader structure the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Child Care sets for every state's quality system.
Texas Rising Star is Texas's voluntary quality rating, awarded from a 2-star entry level up to 4-star, where higher levels reflect higher standards. It is run by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) with Local Workforce Development Boards, per the State of Texas and the federal ACF Office of Child Care. Participation is optional, so a program can hold a current license and run a strong classroom without carrying a Texas Rising Star level.
A quality rating system does two jobs at once. It rates programs so families have a common yardstick, and it improves programs by pairing higher levels with mentoring, assessment, and resources. Texas built Texas Rising Star with support from the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) administered by the ACF Office of Child Care, and the rating is closely tied to the state's child care scholarship system.
Two different agencies share the work in Texas. Licensing is the mandatory floor: the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), through Child Care Regulation (CCR), licenses and regulates programs. The voluntary rating sits on top: the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) runs Texas Rising Star. The table below separates the labels you will run into while you compare programs.
| Label | What to know |
|---|---|
| Texas Rising Star | Texas's voluntary quality rating, 2-star up to 4-star, run by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) with local boards. Higher levels reflect higher standards; not every licensed program participates. |
| License (Texas HHSC / CCR) | The mandatory baseline every program must meet, issued by Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation (CCR). Confirm current status and any compliance history. |
| Accreditation | Optional national recognition, such as NAEYC (the National Association for the Education of Young Children), separate from the state and a useful extra signal. |
Because Texas Rising Star is voluntary, you will see star levels on some Texas programs and not others — so confirm the current Child Care Regulation (CCR) license status and any compliance history first, then read the star level as a bonus signal where it exists.
Start with the license: confirm the program's status with Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation (CCR) and review any compliance history. Then look at the Texas Rising Star level. Treat any rating as one verified data point alongside your own visit, because a rating can lag what a classroom is actually like by a year or more.
Honest tradeoff. Because Texas Rising Star is voluntary, a strong program may simply have skipped the rating, and a rated program's star level can lag what a room feels like day to day. A 4-star center can still have a weak classroom, and an unrated program can be excellent. Use the level to start your shortlist, not to settle it.
Texas Rising Star does not set tuition, which each program decides on its own. But in Texas, the state ties higher subsidy reimbursement to higher star levels, while the Child Care Services (CCS) scholarship through the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and Local Workforce Development Boards helps eligible families pay, a structure the ACF Office of Child Care encourages under the federal Child Care and Development Fund. For national context, ChildCare Aware of America's 2024 Price of Child Care report put center-based care at roughly $8,000 to $24,000 per year depending on age and state.
For Texas-specific figures, see our daycare cost guide and estimate your own with the cost calculator. If you may qualify for help paying, the Child Care Services (CCS) scholarship through the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and your local board is the place to start.
Texas Rising Star is Texas's voluntary quality rating for child care, awarded from a 2-star entry level up to 4-star, where higher levels reflect higher standards. It is run by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) with Local Workforce Development Boards, per the State of Texas and the federal ACF Office of Child Care. Because it is voluntary, not every licensed program holds a Texas Rising Star level.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), through Child Care Regulation (CCR), licenses and regulates child care programs, per the State of Texas. Licensing is the mandatory baseline every program must meet, while Texas Rising Star is the voluntary quality layer rated on top of it by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). Confirm a program's current license and any compliance history before you enroll.
Confirm the program's license status and compliance history with Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation (CCR), then ask about its current Texas Rising Star level. Treat any rating as one verified data point alongside your own tour, because a rating can lag a program's real, day-to-day conditions, and unrated programs are not automatically weaker.
Texas Rising Star does not set tuition, which each program decides on its own. Texas ties higher subsidy reimbursement to higher star levels, while the Child Care Services (CCS) scholarship through the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and local boards helps eligible families pay, a structure the ACF Office of Child Care encourages under the federal Child Care and Development Fund. For national context, center-based care runs roughly $8,000 to $24,000 per year, per ChildCare Aware of America's 2024 Price of Child Care report.
For the full picture in your state, see the Texas daycare guide, which covers licensing, subsidy, and pre-K. Our daycare quality and safety pillar explains accreditation, ratios, and what to look for on a tour.
Comparing how other states rate quality? Read our explainers on Reaching for the Stars in Oklahoma, Quality Start in Louisiana, and FOCUS in New Mexico.
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