Texas A&M AgriLife Extension offers a variety of online child care training courses designed for providers in Texas. These courses can help you meet 24-hour pre-service coursework requirements, fulfill annual training hours, and earn your Director’s Credential, while aligning with Texas Minimum Standards for child care operations.
Our courses provide research-based content and best-practice strategies for early childhood educators in various settings, including child care centers, Head Start programs, home care programs, and public schools. We offer online, asynchronous courses to support teachers, directors, administrators, and families.
Special Texas-Specific Course Offerings
- Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension offers courses that can help you meet your 24-hour pre-service coursework, to include: Child Development, Developmentally Appropriate Activities, Guidance and Discipline, SIDS and Shaken Baby, and Health and Safety courses (Texas Minimum Standards-pgs. 90-91).
- Additionally, we have a Texas Annual Training suite, which includes twelve online courses (20 hours) specially selected to meet the majority of the annual professional development requirements from Texas Child Care Regulation, two of which will be offered for free. Free enrollment for Texas early childhood professionals in the two Texas Annual Training Courses is 100 percent funded by the Texas Workforce Commission. As of December 23, 2024, early childhood educators who live and work in the state of Texas can complete up to 3 clock hours of free online childcare training in this category, with certificates from Extension’s Promoting Early Education Quality (PEEQ) program (Minimum Standards, pages 91-97).
- Texas Healthy Building Blocks, powered by Go NAPSACC, is a statewide program designed to support and recognize early childhood education programs working to adopt evidence-based obesity prevention practices to improve the health of young children aged 0-5 years.
Upon completion of our course modules, pre- and post- assessment, and activities, you will receive a certificate that can be used for verification of attendance and training completion. These certificates will automatically be uploaded into TECPDS if the email address you use for both TECPDS and AgriLife Learn are the same.
Online Training Courses
Explore a wide range of training topics, including:
- Preschool CDA
- Special Needs
- Infant and Toddler
- Outdoor and Nature Play
- Early Childhood Mental Health
- Child Growth and Development
- Abuse and Neglect
- Creating a Home Based Business
- Professional Development and Leadership
View our course catalog for additional training opportunities designed to enhance the quality of care, instruction, and relationships in your early childhood programs.
Texas CDA Training Courses
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension offers coursework to assist in meeting the 120 hours of training required for CDA certification, following the guidelines set by the Council for Professional Recognition. These courses are available as a bundle or may be taken individually to meet specific training needs.
Texas Child Care Director Credential
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension also offers courses that can boost your career and help you to earn a child care director certification online.
Learn more about the Texas Child Care Director Credential
Texas State Contact Information
- Texas Health and Human Services
- Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
- Phone: (512) 929-6900
- Texas Child Care Regulations
- Texas Child Care Minimum Standards
- TECPDS – Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System (TECPDS)
Texas A&M AgriLife
- AgriLife Learn Help Desk for Training Course System Support
- For any questions about Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Child Care Training Courses, please contact:
- Felicia Sprayberry: felicia.sprayberry@ag.tamu.edu
- Dr. Jodi Nerren: jodi.nerren@ag.tamu.edu
- Find your local Extension office
About PEEQ and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Promoting Early Education Quality (PEEQ) is a program of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension dedicated to encouraging the adoption of research- and evidence-based practices in all levels of the early education field. Established in 2004, PEEQ supports early childhood educators by providing professional development training.
Our courses are designed to provide research-based content and best-practice strategies for educators in various settings. We offer flexible, online courses to support the needs of teachers, directors, administrators, and families.