The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) is pleased to announce that applications for fiscal year 2026 Family Place Libraries™ Project grants will be accepted through Wednesday, October 15, 2025. TSLAC is looking for qualified libraries to attend a Family Place Libraries™ Training Institute to be hosted at a Texas public library and then implement the program in their own libraries.

Family Place Libraries™ Project grants support the creation of a welcoming, family-centered environment that empowers caregivers of young children as they become their child’s first and continual teachers. This grant will provide funding for the equipment and training necessary for each library to:

• Host workshops for children ages 0-3 and their caregivers.
• Develop an interactive space for this age group to play and learn in the library.
• Forge strong partnerships with organizations serving young children and their families.

If chosen to participate in the 2026 cohort, new and expansion libraries can expect to have staff members attend training in May 2026. To offset the cost of travel, TSLAC will provide each attendee up to $1,000 towards travel reimbursement. TSLAC will also reimburse participating libraries up to $8,000 to purchase the supplies necessary to launch a successful Family Place Library™ location.

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, October 15, 2025. The application is entirely online and can be accessed after logging into the TSLAC Grants Management System. Those without access to the GMS may reach out to the TSLAC grants team at grants@tsl.texas.gov.

Before applying, prospective applications should consult the following resources on the Family Place Libraries™ Project Resources page on the TSLAC grants website:

• The 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity, containing the grant guidelines and scoring matrix, will be available in early September.
• The recording of the FY 2026 Texas Family Place Libraries™ Project Funding Opportunity webinar, in which TSLAC’s youth services consultant and grants team staff review expectations and requirements for 2026 grant applications, with strategies on how to meet those expectations. The discussion includes a review of how grants will be scored as well as the information needed for the application.

This grant application invitation is extended to accredited libraries looking to become credentialed Family Place Libraries™. Additionally, those library systems that already have an established Family Place™ location can apply for funding to expand the program into one additional branch in their library system this fiscal year. If a current established Family Place™ location needs additional staff trained to remain active, there is no need to apply. Libraries may reach out to TSLAC Youth Services Consultant Katelyn Patterson at kpatterson@tsl.texas.gov to discuss their needs.

This project is made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act.