Child‑care providers tell TWC rollout and scholarship timelines are unclear after funding changes

Cara Waddell, president and chief executive officer of Child Care Associates in Fort Worth, told the Texas Workforce Commission that child‑care providers and parents in her region are “frustrated and scared” following a statewide rollout she described as “TX3C” and an announced $100,000,000 in additional funding for the child‑care services program.

Waddell said providers had reason to expect that families on long waiting lists would be pulled into service “in a matter of months.” She warned, however, that recent information saying “the new childcare targets will actually lower the number of children to be served starting in October” would be a shock to providers and families who had anticipated immediate relief. Waddell noted the program is increasing rates to “75% of the market rate survey amount,” and that more programs have Rising Star quality ratings—developments she described as positive but also a source of confusion about who will receive help and when.

Waddell also raised questions about a new priority‑group category for a childcare scholarship that, she said, could enable scholarships for eligible childcare educators to receive child‑care assistance spending. Providers have already told Waddell they are “very eager to pull their teachers off the wait list” and expect immediate action; she urged the commission to provide timely state communication and a date when workforce areas can expect to pull childcare educators for priority service.

Waddell identified herself as speaking in a personal capacity in addition to her organizational role and said she submitted written testimony to the commission. Her remarks focused on the practical effects of state policy changes on local providers and families; she asked TWC to help workforce boards message the changes to reduce confusion on the ground.

The commission did not announce specific enrollment numbers or a firm timeline during the meeting.