Have you thought about becoming a director of a childcare program here in Texas?

You have worked with and been around children your whole life. You love working with kids. Maybe you have worked in a center for a few years. Now you want to lead a licensed childcare center of your very own! You want to be a DIRECTOR!

So, you look up “childcare Texas” in google and find links to the HHS (Department of Health & Human Services) website and look at the screens and screens of “information for providers.” I can see your face now…

Let me help you out. If you want to be a Director and you don’t have a Bachelors in Child Development and 2 college courses in business, your easiest path to become a Director is to take a Director Credentialing class like those we teach at Texas Director. I can see you are unsure.

I can relate. I wouldn’t trust me either. You don’t know where I came from and obviously I want you to buy for Texas Director, so I would say it is the easiest. Fair. So, let’s go through the options from Minimum Standards (746.1015).

First of all, every Director must be at least 21 years of age and have a high school diploma or its equivalent. I presume you have that handled.  You will also need first aid & CPR certificates. Then you have to meet one of the 8 options for a combination of education & experience.

  • Option 1 – A bachelor’s degree with 12 college credit hours in child development and six college credit hours in management & at least 1year experience in a licensed child-care center. (the option I mentioned above)

So if you already have a bachelor’s degree, just pull out your transcript & see how many courses you had in child development (you are looking for 4) and management/business (looking for 2). If you don’t have those specific courses, then you have 2 choices. Which one will work best for you? You can take the time & $$$ to take the missing courses, delaying your position as Director or you can choose another qualification. For $825 and on average 1 month you can work one-on-one with an instructor in the Director Success Personalized Texas Director course and get your license or you can take up to 6 classes ($8657 at UT & at least a year). It is your choice.

  • Option 2 – An associates of applied science degree in child development (or a closely related field), with 6 college credit hours in child development & 6 college credit hours in business and at least 2 years experience in a licensed child-care center.

Ok, so this option might be a better fit for you. Pull out your AS transcript. DO you have the matching coursework? If so, great! You are ready to submit your paperwork to the state! If not, how many courses do you need to take? One, two? You can totally do that. How long will that take you? At a minimum 8 weeks. If now is the right time of the year. Maybe a semester. Cool. Go for it. You have all the time in the world. You didn’t really want to take that position that is open right now, did you? Another one will come up soon. You’ll just go ahead and pay for the classes, & books now, hoping to find a position when you are done. No sweat.

Just for fun I looked up the textbook costs for two of the child development courses at my community college that I have taken: Who Am I in the Lives of Children? An Introduction to Early Childhood Education (11th Edition)- $89.48, INFANTS TODDLERS & CAREGIVERS: CURRICULUM RELATIONSHIP -$95.99. I loved taking these classes. I learned a lot. I suggest you take classes that are interesting to you when you have the time & interest, not speeding through them in hopes of qualifying for a job. Especially when I could spend less time & money to become qualified.

  • Option 3 – 60 College credit hours with 9 college credit hours in child development, with 9 college credit hours in business and at least 2 years experience in a licensed child-care center.

Same applies here as the AS. It is basically the same quantity of college course, just without a rubber stamp of an AS. If you have the qualification, take the transcripts, make copies & submit the 2911 (https://hhs.texas.gov/laws-regulations/forms/2000-2999/form-2911-child-care-licensing-governing-bodydirector-designation). You are good to go.

  • Option 4 – A child-care administrator’s certificate from a community college with at least 15 college credit hours in child development & 3 college credit hours in business and at least 2 years experience in a licensed child-care center.

The biggest problem I have with this one is finding a college that offers it. Now, I know my google-foo is not great, but the only program I could find when googling this term is out of Wisconsin.

  • Option 5 – A Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or Certified Child-Care Professional credential with 6 college credit hours in business management and at least 2 years experience in a licensed child-care center.

This is quite frankly the option I understand the least. You get your CDA or CCP. That is a great thing for working in a classroom. It demonstrates that you understand a fair amount about how children grow & develop & how to run a classroom. Having teachers with these, increases your CCS reimbursement rates and generally improves your center.

Here is a question: How will you renew the credential when it expires (every 2 or 3 years)? You have to be working in the classroom. So, OK, you get your license this way, but you have to make a plan to change your method ASAP, so that you are still qualified. Something to consider. And you still need 6 college hours in business.

  • Option 6 – A day-care administrator’s credential issued by a professional organization or educational institution and approved by Licensing and at least 2 years experience in a licensed child-care center.

This is the easiest & quickest option. May we suggest Texas Director?

 

  • Option 7 – 9 College credit hours with 9 college credit hours in child development, with 9 college credit hours in business and at least 3 years experience in a licensed child-care center.

This is the option we suggest for those who are looking for a non-renewing credential, but who don’t have an interest in obtaining a degree and don’t have one already.
If you still have question, email us at Kate@texasdirector.org If we answered them all, enroll now.

Enroll now!