How we spot Texas openings

What we read

• Texas HHSC Child Care Regulation: operations with an Initial permit
• Texas HHSC Child Care Regulation: operations moved to a full permit

Every Texas day care needs a permit from Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation. A new operation gets an Initial permit when it is ready to care for children, and HHSC publishes each operation, its permit type and date, its capacity and the ages it serves, every day.

How we decide what's new

We read the file every day and keep Initial permits (new operations) and the first full permit that replaces one. We leave out renewals, foster and residential operations, and listed or registered family homes, which are usually a private residence. Licensed homes stay only when the operation has a business name, never a person's name.

What can go wrong

A permit date is the state's date, not an opening day: some centers open a week later. A full permit means the center has been open about six months, so it is labelled separately and never called brand new. Inspection records are the state's own words; we summarize counts, we don't rate anyone.

A record is a signal, not a promise. Some businesses open late, rename or never open. If a listing about your business is wrong, tell us and we'll fix it.

What this doesn't cover

What this covers. Licensed child care centers, licensed child-care homes with a business name, and before or after-school programs anywhere in Texas, from the state's own permit file. Listed and registered family homes are left off the new-operation list because they are usually a private home. The free inspection lookup covers every day care in the file.

Sources: Texas Health and Human Services Commission Child Care Regulation (CCR) operation, inspection and deficiency records on data.texas.gov. Written from the public records themselves; check with the agency for anything legal or binding.

More guides

• How to read a Texas day care's inspection record