Texas Childcare Licensing
Texas Childcare Training Hour Requirements (2026)
Texas childcare staff must complete both pre-service (orientation) training before working with children and ongoing annual training each year. A caregiver at a Texas licensed child-care center must obtain at least 24 clock hours of annual training relevant to the ages of the children served (26 TAC Sec. 746.1309), and a primary caregiver in a licensed or registered child-care home must obtain at least 30 clock hours of training each year relevant to the ages served (26 TAC Sec. 747.1309). (26 TAC Sec. 746.1309; Sec. 747.1309)
Licensing Agency
Texas Health and Human Services, Child Care Licensing →Last updated: April 2026
Researched by the TotReady Research TeamTexas Training Hour Requirements: The Specifics
the commonly cited '8 hours' pre-service figure appears in that 746.1301 chart, which is published as an image and could not be extracted as quotable .gov text.
26 TAC Sec. 746.1301
A caregiver at a Texas licensed child-care center must obtain at least 24 clock hours of annual training relevant to the ages of the children served (26 TAC Sec. 746.1309), and a primary caregiver in a licensed or registered child-care home must obtain at least 30 clock hours of training each year relevant to the ages served (26 TAC Sec. 747.1309).
26 TAC Sec. 746.1309
Texas Training Hour Requirements at a Glance
| Pre-service training | Texas child-care-center employees, caregivers, and directors must complete pre-service training before being counted in ratio or having unsupervised access to children, with the required clock hours set out in the chart at 26 TAC Sec. 746.1301 and the mandatory pre-service topics specified in 26 TAC Sec. 746.1305; the commonly cited '8 hours' pre-service figure appears in that 746.1301 chart, which is published as an image and could not be extracted as quotable .gov text. (26 TAC Sec. 746.1301; Sec. 746.1305) |
|---|---|
| Annual training | A caregiver at a Texas licensed child-care center must obtain at least 24 clock hours of annual training relevant to the ages of the children served (26 TAC Sec. 746.1309), and a primary caregiver in a licensed or registered child-care home must obtain at least 30 clock hours of training each year relevant to the ages served (26 TAC Sec. 747.1309). (26 TAC Sec. 746.1309; Sec. 747.1309) |
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Texas Training Hour Requirements: Frequently Asked Questions
How many pre-service training hours does Texas require?
Texas child-care-center employees, caregivers, and directors must complete pre-service training before being counted in ratio or having unsupervised access to children, with the required clock hours set out in the chart at 26 TAC Sec. 746.1301 and the mandatory pre-service topics specified in 26 TAC Sec. 746.1305; the commonly cited '8 hours' pre-service figure appears in that 746.1301 chart, which is published as an image and could not be extracted as quotable .gov text. (26 TAC Sec. 746.1301; Sec. 746.1305)
How many annual training hours does Texas require?
A caregiver at a Texas licensed child-care center must obtain at least 24 clock hours of annual training relevant to the ages of the children served (26 TAC Sec. 746.1309), and a primary caregiver in a licensed or registered child-care home must obtain at least 30 clock hours of training each year relevant to the ages served (26 TAC Sec. 747.1309). (26 TAC Sec. 746.1309; Sec. 747.1309)
Does CPR/First Aid count toward Texas training hours?
States differ on whether CPR and First Aid certification counts toward required training hours. Confirm with the Texas Health and Human Services, Child Care Licensing before relying on it for your annual total.
Texas childcare licensing rules are amended regularly. This page is compiled from published Texas administrative codes and statutes for informational purposes only — always verify current requirements with the Texas Health and Human Services, Child Care Licensing before relying on them. TotReady provides information and document templates, not legal or regulatory advice.