Texas childcare policy intelligence
2026-2027 State of Texas Childcare
Current Texas HHSC supply, Texas/TWC-compatible childcare desert methodology, HHSC nighttime-care standards, ACS workforce timing, and LODES workforce geography organized for legislative and Sunset review.
744
Direct-current desert ZIPs
1,185,307
Current authorized capacity in qualifying HHSC supply
463,280
Children under 6 outside the working-parent denominator
676
Operations overlapping HHSC's 9 p.m.-6 a.m. window
Methodology first. Texas definitions govern wherever Texas has established them. ACS B08302 and LODES are supplemental context.
Two mature policy questions
Who Texas counts
Childcare Deserts
Working-parent children under six are compared with current qualifying HHSC authorized capacity. A companion measure shows children under six outside that denominator.
Explore desertsWhen care is available
Nighttime Childcare
HHSC's Texas nighttime-care window is 9 p.m.-6 a.m. Early-morning, late-night and cross-midnight schedule evidence is kept distinct.
Explore nighttime careLegislative matrix
All 150 House districts and 31 Senate districts are available as ZIP-boundary-area-weighted legislative context, with HD124 as the anchor profile.
Texas HouseTexas SenateHD124