Child Care Trainer Requirements

All training must be delivered by a trainer who meets one of the following requirements:

• Is currently listed on the Texas Trainer Registry;
• Is an instructor at a high school, college or university who teaches early childhood development or another relevant course;
• Works for a state agency with relevant expertise (such as HHSC Child Care Licensing, Department of Agriculture, Department of State Health Services);
• Is a physician, psychologist, licensed professional counselor, social worker, or registered nurse;
• Holds a generally recognized credential or possesses documented knowledge relevant to the training the person will provide (such as an individual who has a current Child Care Professional credential, a firefighter who offers training on fire safety, a county health employee who offers training on immunizations);
• Is a director or primary caregiver of a registered or licensed child-care home in good standing with HHSC and who:
• Has demonstrated core knowledge in child development and caregiving and
• Is only providing training at the center or home in which the director or primary caregiver and the persons receiving training are employed; or
• Has at least two years of experience working in a child development program and
• Has a current Child Development Associate (CDA); or
• Has at least an associate's degree in child development, early childhood education, or a related field.

What Does This Mean for My Program?

• You will need to ensure that all training you and your staff receive, is provided by a trainer who meets the trainer criteria.
• You will need to verify that the trainer meets the criteria.
• Appropriate documentation must be kept on file in each employee's personnel record available for review by Licensing.
• Examples of acceptable documentation may include the trainer's Texas Trainer Registry number (this is often listed on the training certificate), a letter from the trainer, or the trainer's resume.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does self-instructional training count?

If the training is created by an individual who meets one of the trainer criteria, then yes it does count. For example, the online courses aimed at improving infant and toddler care that Child Care Regulation developed with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension counts since the courses were developed by individuals who work for a state agency and have relevant expertise.

As the director or primary caregiver may I continue to train my staff?

Yes, you may offer training to your staff as long as you have a current director's certificate from CCR (if applicable), are only providing the training to staff employed at your program, and your program has not been on probation, suspension, emergency suspension, or revocation in the two years preceding the training or been assessed an administrative penalty in the two years preceding the training.

What does "has demonstrated core knowledge in child development and caregiving" mean?

This means that you have a current director's certificate from CCR if you are the director of a licensed center or primary caregiver of a licensed home. If you are a primary caregiver of a registered home, this means you have a minimum of one year of experience as a registered provider.

What does "appropriately targeted and relevant to the age of the children" mean?

This means that the training you and your staff receive applies to the age of children you or your staff care for at your program. For example, if a caregiver only cares for infants and toddlers, it would not be acceptable to count training that focuses on school-age children.