We are a 4-Star Texas Rising Star daycare
The Texas Workforce Commission has certified Kids Connect of Houston at the highest quality level the state awards. Here’s what the program is — and what it means for your family.
What is Texas Rising Star?
Texas Rising Star is the official quality rating and improvement system for child care in Texas, run by the Texas Workforce Commission together with local Workforce Solutions boards. Its job is simple: to independently identify — and help raise — child-care quality beyond the minimum licensing standards every center must meet.
Trained assessors visit each center in person and score what actually happens in classrooms: how teachers talk with children, how days are structured, how spaces are equipped, and how families are engaged. Centers are also screened continuously against their state licensing history — so a rating reflects ongoing reality, not a one-day performance.
For parents, that means a Texas Rising Star rating is one of the few childcare quality signals that doesn’t come from the center itself.
The star levels — and where we stand
Certification climbs through three star levels. There is nothing above Four-Star.
Entry Level
Meets state minimum licensing standards and begins the quality pathway.
Two-Star
Verified quality above state minimums.
Three-Star
Advanced quality across all assessed categories.
Four-Star
The highest rating in Texas. Kids Connect of Houston is certified at this level.
The four areas we're measured on
Texas Rising Star assessors score certified programs across four research-backed categories.
Staff Qualifications
Director and teacher education, credentials, and ongoing professional training beyond state requirements.
Teacher-Child Interactions
The most heavily weighted category — warm, responsive, language-rich interactions in every classroom.
Program Administration
Family engagement, communication, staff support, and sound center management practices.
Learning Environments
Safe, stimulating indoor and outdoor spaces with age-appropriate materials and activity centers.
We proudly accept CCS scholarships
As a Texas Rising Star certified provider, Kids Connect of Houston participates in the Texas Workforce Commission's Child Care Services program, helping make quality childcare affordable for working families.
What certification means for your family
Research consistently shows children in higher-quality early learning programs arrive at school more prepared. Texas Rising Star gives you an independent, state-run way to verify quality — not just take our word for it.
- Assessed in person by state-trained evaluators
- Screened continuously against our licensing record
- Teacher-child interactions weighted heaviest of all
- 4-Star is the top of the pathway — and we're there