We strive to connect parents with high quality child care, and to connect child care providers with as many resources as possible. These quality initiatives give our providers and parents more access to information on high quality child care and education.
College Scholarships for Child Development Courses
The following steps must be completed to submit your SUMMER 2024 scholarship application
STEP 1 – Bacterial Meningitis vaccination (first-time students only)
See information at https://www.actx.edu/admission/meningitis
STEP 2 – Apply to Amarillo College (first-time students only)
Apply at https://www.actx.edu/enroll/ and follow instructions
STEP 3 – TSI Testing (first time students only)
See the information related to TSI testing at https://www.actx.edu/testing/tsi-assessment
If you need assistance to pay the TSI fees please print and complete the TSI Voucher Request by clicking the yellow button below. Email completed form to aslatter@wspanhandle.com.
*Testing times can be limited, so complete this step as soon as possible*
CLICK HERE TO PRINT AND COMPLETE TSI VOUCHER REQUEST
STEP 4 – Register for SUMMER 2024 classes at AC
- Meet with your AC Advisor, Margarita Rocha. She is located on the Washington Street Campus in Enrollment Center and is available Monday-Friday from 8:00am-5:00pm (she is not available from 1:30pm-2:30pm). Contact her at 806-371-5184 or email her at mrocha26@actx.edu.
STEP 5 – Complete your Workforce Solutions Panhandle SUMMER 2024 scholarship application – (DUE on Monday, April 29, 2024)
- Print your Amarillo College unofficial transcript using the following steps:
- log onto your AC Connect portal at https://acconnect.actx.edu
- click “Current Student” in the left-hand side bar;
- click Academic Profile;
- Click Transcript, the UG – Undergraduate
CLICK HERE TO PRINT AND COMPLETE THE SUMMER 2024 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
STEP 6 – Submit your completed scholarship application, your unofficial transcript, and your student statement – (DUE – Monday, April 29, 2024)
- Scan and send via email to aslatter@wspanhandle.com; OR
- USPS mail to 3120 Eddy ST Amarillo, TX 79106 ATTENTION: April Slatter; OR
- Hand deliver to 3120 Eddy ST Amarillo, TX 79106
*Incomplete applications and applications received after the due date AND time deadline will NOT be considered.*
If you have questions please contact, April Slatter, Child Care Program Manager at 806-350-1725 or aslatter@wspanhandle.com.
Texas Rising Star Program
Effective October 3, 2022, all CCS child care and early learning programs must participate in the Texas Rising Star program. In order to be a CCS provider, child care and early learning programs must:
- meet the Entry- Level designation point threshold; and
- attain at least a Two-Star certification level within 24 months
Across Texas, parents and families enroll their children in childcare programs, including center-based and home-based programs. Numerous research studies have shown that at-risk children who attend higher-quality childcare programs are more prepared for school entry than children who do not attend quality childcare programs.
Those providers that voluntarily achieve TRS provider certification, offering quality care that exceeds the State’s Minimum Child Care Licensing Standards for director and staff qualifications, caregiver-child interactions, age-appropriate curricula and activities, nutrition and indoor/outdoor activities, and parent involvement and education, are in a better position to contribute to the early development of children. As providers progress through the levels of TRS provider certification, they contribute progressively more to the development of the children they serve on a daily basis.
Learn more about the Texas Rising Star Program
Pre-K Partnerships
In November 2021, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) approved $26 million for the expansion of prekindergarten (pre-k) partnerships.
A pre-k partnership is a collaboration between a school district or charter school and one or more quality-rated* child care programs to provide high-quality care and education to eligible three- and four-year-old children.
*Child care programs must meet at least one of the five quality criteria in Texas Education Code §29.153(g) to be considered for a formal pre-k partnership.
Learn more about Pre-K Partnerships
National Early Childhood Program Accreditation
The National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA) supports the profession of early care and education by encouraging the availability of high-quality child care programs.
NECPA was established in 1991 to encourage quality and recognize excellence and promote reliable measures of quality in the early childhood field both nationally and abroad.
National Association for the Education of Young Children
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is a professional membership organization that works to promote high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research.
NAEYC advances a diverse, dynamic early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children. The association comprises nearly 60,000 individual members of the early childhood community and more than 50 Affiliates, all committed to delivering on the promise of high-quality early learning. They work to achieve a collective vision: that all young children thrive and learn in a society dedicated to ensuring they reach their full potential.
Texas School Ready
Texas School Ready is a comprehensive preschool teacher training program combining a research-based, state-adopted curriculum with ongoing professional development and progress monitoring tools. The goal of this program is to help children be better prepared for school.
Learn more about Texas School Ready
Licensing Information for Child Care Providers
Chapter 42 of the Texas Human Resources Code requires the Health and Human Services Commission to regulate child care and child-placing activities in Texas and to create and enforce minimum standards.