Alyssa K. Johnson asks TWC for waiver so her children can keep CCS scholarships at her center
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Summary
At a Texas Workforce Commission meeting, Alyssa K. Johnson, director and head of a childcare center, requested a waiver under 40 TAC 809.3 so her children can continue receiving Child Care Services (CCS) scholarships at the same center; other public commenters told the commission KinderConnect problems and recent scholarship drops are disrupting families and providers.
Alyssa K. Johnson, director and head of a childcare center, asked the Texas Workforce Commission this morning to grant a waiver under 40 TAC 809.3 so her children can continue to receive Child Care Services (CCS) scholarship benefits while remaining enrolled at the center where she works.
Johnson told commissioners she is now the sole provider for five children and that the children — three of whom are ages 2, 7 and 9 — have attended the center since infancy. She said their father is serving a six-year prison sentence and that moving them to a different center to meet current CCS rules would create ‘‘significant hardship’’ and disrupt ongoing counseling and stability. "Requiring me to move my children to another center in order to receive childcare scholarship assistance would create a significant hardship for myself and my children," Johnson said.
The request was presented during the meeting’s public-comment period and Johnson told the commission she understands the policy’s intent to prevent conflicts of interest; she urged the panel to consider a hardship waiver with appropriate safeguards. "I am fully willing to comply with any safeguards the commission decides to impose as well as any additional oversight or separation of particular responsibilities," she said.
Other public commenters reinforced concerns about how CCS scholarship administration and TWC’s KinderConnect system have affected families and providers. Cynthia Pearson, president and CEO of the Day Nursery of Abilene, told the commission her nonprofit serves about 600 children at four licensed centers and that 303 children were enrolled through CCS before 55 were dropped in the past month. "This is a drastic change with real consequences for real families trying to work," Pearson said, urging better automation of Notice of Awards (NOAs), consistent caseworker assignments and more training for providers to reduce administrative burden.
A separate commenter, Vicky Flower, described her family’s lengthy appeal process and said the system is difficult to navigate without counsel. Flower said the system’s scale and administrative friction have made cases hard to pursue and urged the commission not to ignore systemic failures.
Why it matters: CCS scholarships help families afford childcare and are tied to workforce participation. Parents’ ability to keep children in established care affects continuity of therapy, transportation logistics and children’s emotional stability, commenters said.
What the commission did: Commissioners heard the testimony and asked clarifying questions on the mechanics of the waiver request. The commission did not take a final vote on the specific waiver request during the public-comment portion; the meeting then proceeded to agenda items covering adjudicative dockets and rulemaking. Staff indicated the waiver process exists for hardship cases and that any approval could include conditions and oversight.
The petition from Johnson and the broader provider complaints about KinderConnect are now on the record for commission consideration. Commissioners did not immediately adopt a policy change; next procedural steps will be determined by staff and the commission’s rule and waiver processes.
