Texas childcare providers are required to complete annual continuing education that includes training in Social and Emotional Development. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) requires teachers to complete 24 hours of annual training and directors to complete 30 hours, with at least 6 hours covering guidance and discipline or teacher‑child interaction, which are core Social and Emotional Development competencies. brightwheel Professional Development is accepted by Texas HHSC and offers state‑accepted Social and Emotional Development courses that count toward these requirements. Staff complete courses on demand, and administrators track all completions automatically within brightwheel.
| Annual CE hours (teachers) | 24 hours per training year |
| Annual CE hours (directors) | 30 hours per training year |
| Minimum hours in competency topics | At least 6 hours in child growth/development, guidance and discipline, curriculum, or teacher‑child interaction |
| Social and Emotional maps to Texas topics | Guidance and discipline · Teacher‑child interaction · Social skills development |
| Training frequency | Annual |
| State regulatory authority | Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) |
| Licensing chapter | Chapter 746 (Centers) / Chapter 747 (Licensed homes) |
| brightwheel approved in Texas | ✓ Yes — accepted by Texas HHSC |
| Auto‑posts to TX Registry (TECPDS) | ✓ Yes — completed course hours post automatically to staff TECPDS accounts |
| Social and Emotional Development courses in Texas | View brightwheel courses |
About Social and Emotional Development (CDA III)
Social and Emotional Development — CDA Competency Area III — is one of the eight foundational knowledge domains defined by the Council for Professional Recognition. It covers the skills and understanding educators need to nurture children’s emotional wellbeing, guide behavior constructively, build positive relationships, and create environments where every child feels secure, seen, and capable of growth.
The early years — birth through age 5 — are the most critical window for social‑emotional development. Children who develop strong self‑regulation, empathy, and relationship skills in these years enter school with a significant advantage in both learning readiness and behavioral adjustment.
All staff — teachers, directors, aides, and substitutes — must complete a minimum of 24 hours of pre‑service training before or within 90 days of beginning work with children. At least 8 of those hours must be completed before a caregiver is given responsibility for a group of children.
Texas Social and Emotional Development training requirements
Texas childcare centers, regulated by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission under Chapter 746 of the Texas Administrative Code, require all teaching staff to complete annual continuing education. Social and Emotional Development training is a required component: at least 6 of the 24 annual hours must cover guidance and discipline or teacher‑child interaction, both of which fall directly under the Social and Emotional Development competency area.
Directors must complete 30 annual CE hours, with the same 6‑hour requirement for competency‑specific topics including Social and Emotional Development. Additionally, Texas requires at least 1 hour annually on child abuse prevention and recognition, which intersects with Social and Emotional Development topics such as trauma‑informed care and attachment.
What Social and Emotional Development training covers
brightwheel’s Social and Emotional Development courses cover the knowledge and skills early childhood educators need to support children in this competency area. Topics include:
Texas Rising Star and Social and Emotional Development
Texas Rising Star (TRS) is Texas’s voluntary quality rating and improvement system for childcare programs participating in TWC’s Child Care Services program. TRS certification signals quality above the HHSC minimum licensing floor — and it directly affects a program’s ability to serve subsidized families, since higher TRS star levels unlock higher reimbursement rates.
Social and Emotional Development training aligns directly with one of TRS’s highest‑weighted criteria areas: Caregiver‑Child Interactions. TRS assessors observe how effectively staff respond to children’s emotional needs, use positive guidance rather than punitive discipline, and support children in building self‑regulation and peer relationships — the exact competencies brightwheel’s Social and Emotional Development courses are designed to build.
Completing brightwheel courses and having those hours auto‑documented in TECPDS serves both purposes at once: HHSC licensing compliance and the observable classroom practices TRS assessors evaluate. Programs working toward initial TRS certification or a higher star level can direct staff to brightwheel’s Social and Emotional Development catalog as a targeted investment in both goals simultaneously.
Aligns with TRS Caregiver‑Child Interactions Domain
TRS programs are rated Level 1 through Level 4. Staff training in Social and Emotional Development competencies directly supports performance in the Caregiver‑Child Interactions domain — TRS’s most heavily weighted assessment area.
TRS certification levels →How brightwheel connects to the Texas TECPDS Registry
Search for brightwheel on TECPDS
The Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System (TECPDS) is the official state registry for approved early childhood training. Search TECPDS to verify brightwheel’s approved training listings and see how staff completion hours are documented in the registry.
Search TECPDS Training Database →TECPDS Home (public.tecpds.org) →HHSC Chapter 746 Compliance
Texas childcare center training requirements are governed by Chapter 746 of the Texas Administrative Code, administered by HHSC. brightwheel courses are accepted toward the 24‑hour annual requirement for teachers and 30‑hour requirement for directors. Certificates from each completed course serve as your documentation for HHSC audits.
Texas HHSC Training Resources →Texas Child Care Connection →Frequently asked questions
Other competency areas available in Texas
Meet Texas training requirements with brightwheel
Brightwheel offers expert‑led, IACET‑accredited courses accepted by Texas HHSC — with automatic tracking and TECPDS registry auto‑posting built in.
View full course roster
Accreditation: Brightwheel is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.