The eligibility list
A child must be at least 3 and meet one condition: limited English, free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, homelessness, foster care history, an active-duty or injured or fallen service-member parent, a Star of Texas parent, or a parent who teaches in a Texas public school.
Where the providers cluster
The Frisco, McKinney and Prosper corridor has the most approved providers, followed closely by Plano and Allen and by Denton County. Richardson-Garland and Irving-Carrollton come next, while central Dallas neighborhoods have comparatively few. Our pre-K page has the full list with a search box.
Teachers' kids qualify
A child whose parent is a public school classroom teacher qualifies at any income. That covers a lot of families in a metro with districts the size of Dallas ISD, Plano ISD and Garland ISD.
After-care is a separate bill
TEFA doesn't pay for before- or after-school care. Child care scholarships through Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas or Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas can, though the waitlist can be long.
Staying through kindergarten
Kindergarten isn't limited by the pre-K criteria, so a child can move up at the same school on the full award.
Is your preschool eligible?
It needs a child care license in good standing plus Texas Rising Star 3-star or higher, Texas School Ready, a district pre-K partnership or recognized accreditation. If your center isn't in the finder, ask whether it has applied.
Next step
Start the funding check. It takes about two minutes, and an advisor will follow up with every source your family is eligible for and the deadlines attached to each.