Daycare & Child Care in Houston, TX

The first decision on your child’s child care journey often comes down to setting: In-home care, or center based. Center-based care is popular amongst families looking for a more structured, reliable environment with plenty of resources for activities, learning and development; centers tend to be larger, with more socialization opportunities and more professionally trained staff. While centers are often known for their range of approaches and pedagogies, in-home care, too, comes in various shapes and sizes. In Texas, in-home daycare generally breaks down into three buckets: licensed child-care homes, registered child-care homes and listed family homes. The three primarily differ based on enrollment size, although these differences cascade down to how these homes are regulated. Licensed child-care homes are the largest of the three, as they serve seven to twelve children thirteen years of age or younger; registered child-care homes are the next tier, serving up to six children at a time thirteen years of age or younger. Listed family homes are the smallest, capped at no more than three unrelated children cared for at once. All three daycare types serve care out of the primary caregiver’s home, but all three are subject to different safety and security regulations.

The first decision on your child’s child care journey often comes down to setting: In-home care, or center based. Center-based care is popular amongst families looking for a more structured, reliable environment with plenty of resources for activities, learning and development; centers tend to be larger, with more socialization opportunities and more professionally trained staff. While centers are often known for their range of approaches and pedagogies, in-home care, too, comes in various shapes and sizes. In Texas, in-home daycare generally breaks down into three buckets: licensed child-care homes, registered child-care homes and listed family homes. The three primarily differ based on enrollment size, although these differences cascade down to how these homes are regulated. Licensed child-care homes are the largest of the three, as they serve seven to twelve children thirteen years of age or younger; registered child-care homes are the next tier, serving up to six children at a time thirteen years of age or younger. Listed family homes are the smallest, capped at no more than three unrelated children cared for at once. All three daycare types serve care out of the primary caregiver’s home, but all three are subject to different safety and security regulations.