This dissertation traces the history of day care licensing standards in Texas from the beginnings in voluntary welfare organizations to the 1976 revisions. Chapter I gives an overview of the study. The beginnings and subsequent development of day care as it emerged from a multiplicity of child welfare and education concerns is traced in Chapter II, and the concomitant development of day care licensing practice is discussed. In Chapter III the jurisdictional foundations of Texas licensing law are presented in a summary of related legislation passed in Texas from 1848 through 1975. Changes in the law and its enforcement are traced. A description of each set of day care licensing standards is presented in Chapter IV along with a discussion of the administrative and organizational aspects of implementation and enforcement. In Chapter V the social, political and educational factors influencing day care licensing in Texas at selected points in time are analyzed. A summary of the findings and recommendations for future study are included. (Author/RH)