Nashville Early Education Coalition

10/16/2026

Families across the country who qualify for childcare assistance are waiting months for help. An AP analysis found waitlists in 23 states and DC, up from 8 states in 2023. Some children have been on a list since birth.

Childcare assistance helps parents work or go to school. Without it, families face hard choices about jobs, bills, and care for their kids.

When families can find and afford quality early care, children, parents, employers, and communities all benefit. 🔗 https://apnews.com/article/childcare-assistance-daycare-cost-waitlist-2ceccc0e30baf7187857c968e631ba77?fbclid=IwY2xjawU_gm9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAWJyaWQRMVhYckFFVGZ2bFg5MUNqaEJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeGZUjlm2oVSJk3ObiA8-ZTfJqi-z2wIW5W5nJnR7ZQRT6QxtyFC3OOrOB36s_aem_wtU2yAUjC6bKVIxlKZbfjg

Childcare costs are straining families. An analysis by The Associated Press found hundreds of thousands of kids who qualify for federal childcare subsidies are sitting on waitlists.

10/16/2026

Finding childcare in Nashville is one of the hardest parts of becoming a parent.

If you're just starting your search, the Tennessee Department of Human Services has a free tool that can help.

The Child Care Locator lets you search by provider name, address, or county for every licensed childcare provider in the state. Each listing includes the provider's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) score, which reflects program quality across areas like teacher-child interactions, health, and safety.

It's a helpful starting point for comparing options in your neighborhood.

Find the tool at tn.gov/humanservices → For Families → Child Care Services → Find Child Care.

Need help? The TDHS Childcare Hotline is 1-800-462-8261.

10/13/2026

Reliable childcare is economic infrastructure. That is the case that a recent Tennesseans for Quality Early Education Child Care Advantage report makes for Tennessee employers, and the numbers are staggering:

💸 $2.6 billion in annual losses from inadequate childcare in Tennessee
👶 98% of Tennessee employers say quality childcare matters to workforce productivity
❌ Fewer than 15% of U.S. private-sector workers have access to an employer-provided childcare benefit

NEEC remains focused on closing the gap between what employers know and the child care benefits they offer.

Read the report at tnbusinessandfamily.org.

10/08/2026

We have been so grateful to everyone who has shared the news of our inaugural 2026-27 Retaining Early Educators as Professionals (REAP) Scholarship. But there's nothing quite like hearing directly from the educator recipients themselves. Helping offset the tuition to cover care for these teachers' *own children* is making a real difference.

Nashville early childhood education centers lose great teachers to jobs that pay a few dollars more an hour. Because of mandated student-teacher ratios — which are critical in order to maintain safety and high-quality care and instruction — losing one educator can close an entire classroom. Retaining a single infant teacher can protect care access for up to four families at once.

NEEC has budgeted just under $400,000 in scholarships for the pilot year, and individual educators will receive an average weekly scholarship amount of more than $200, depending on the number of children and their ages, as well as the specific childcare center where the teacher is employed.

The REAP scholarship will save the average educator $6,300 in annual tuition.

Grateful to the funders who made this possible: The Frist Foundation, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, The Joe C. Davis Foundation, and the Women's Fund at CFMT.

10/06/2026

Thank you to NewsChannel 5 Nashville for highlighting the educators doing such important work with our community's youngest children, and for sharing the exciting news about the Retaining Early Educators as Professionals (REAP) Scholarship that helps make it all possible.

A new Nashville scholarship program is helping early education workers afford childcare for their own children, cutting recipients’ costs by an average of $6,300 a year as the industry struggles with low pay and worker turnover.

10/06/2026

Childcare costs so much that even educators with an employee discount often can't afford it at the centers where they work. The REAP Scholarship helps offset tuition for early educators whose children are enrolled where they teach. Thank you to WSMV 4, Nashville for telling this story.

Childcare is so expensive that even educators who get discounts at their places of work can't afford it. Now, one scholarship program is working to help offset tuition costs for those whose children are enrolled at the early education centers where they work.

10/05/2026

On the Smart Steps waitlist? Check your inbox. TDHS has begun sending invitations to apply for child care assistance, and families have 14 days to respond. Please share this with anyone who may be waiting, since an email like this is easy to miss.

Progress for Tennessee families! Let’s keep it going.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services has begun inviting families on the Smart Steps child care waitlist to apply for assistance.

We welcome this step. For families who qualify, help paying for child care could mean being able to stay in a job, continue their education and give their children a strong start.

📣 On the Smart Steps waitlist?

Watch your email for an official invitation from TDHS Child Care Services. Families who receive an invitation have 14 days to respond and submit an application. Approval depends on eligibility. After the response window closes for the first 100 or so people contacted, TDHS will reach out to the next group of families.

These invitations are encouraging, and the need remains substantial. According to the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, 9,546 families, representing 13,835 children, were on the waitlist as of June 2, 2026.

Behind those numbers are parents trying to afford the child care they need to work or attend school, and children who could benefit from quality early learning.

Continued investment in Smart Steps can help more eligible families afford quality child care, keep parents working and strengthen Tennessee’s economy.

Is your family on the waitlist? We want to hear what waiting means for you. Send us a private message so our team can connect with you. Your experience can help policymakers understand why additional investment matters.

Together, we can be Loud Voices for Little Kids.

09/30/2026

Grateful to Stephen Elliott and the Nashville Banner for highlighting the first-of-its-kind REAP Scholarship. As our Executive Director, Melanie Shinbaum told the Banner: “We know early educators do such hard but needed work, and oftentimes that means it is at the expense of their own families. This is truly acknowledging that the workforce of early education are also oftentimes women and parents and have children of their own that they have to care for.”

The full story is here: https://nashvillebanner.com/2026/09/30/nashville-early-education-coalition-childcare-costs/.

The Retaining Early Educators as Professionals (REAP) program offsets tuition for full-time educators whose children are enrolled at the center where they work, giving educators a direct financial benefit and giving providers a way to keep experienced teachers in the classroom. Stable classrooms, in turn, let the parents and caregivers who depend on them stay in the workforce.

Scholarships were awarded through a competitive, blind-review process open to nonprofit, mission-driven childcare providers across Davidson County. The 2026 pilot cycle supports 23 educators and their 30 children at eight participating Nashville childcare centers.

Weekly payments began earlier this month and will continue through August 2027. NEEC has budgeted nearly $400,000 in scholarships for the pilot year, and individual educators will receive an average weekly scholarship amount of more than $200, depending on the number of children and their ages. The scholarship is funded by The Frist Foundation, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, The Joe C. Davis Foundation, and The Women's Fund at CFMT.

09/29/2026

Providers, mark your calendars! 📅 The 2026–2027 QRIS updates are here, and this Tennessee Child Care Resource and Referral Network virtual session will walk through the key changes and what to expect this program year. A guest speaker from DHS will be there to share more and answer your questions. Don't miss it!

📣 2026-2027 QRIS Updates are here!

Join us online for a brief overview of the latest QRIS updates, including key changes, expectations, and important information for the upcoming program year.

We’ll also be joined by a special guest speaker from DHS to share additional insights and answer participant questions!

Choose the date and time that works best for you:

📅 Monday, October 5
12:30–1:30 PM CT
Register: https://reg.learningstream.com/reg/event_page.aspx?ek=0042-0021-bc3610b147e84d79873541bc62857866

5:30–6:30 PM CT
Register: https://reg.learningstream.com/reg/event_page.aspx?ek=0042-0021-26c976cca0ca4a74b3429044643388de

📅 Monday, November 9
12:30–1:30 PM CT
Register: https://reg.learningstream.com/reg/event_page.aspx?ek=0042-0021-434eb8e647ea49a293b96258b9e30390

5:30–6:30 PM CT
Register: https://reg.learningstream.com/reg/event_page.aspx?ek=0042-0021-6b9cf81f03e840e9ab4ea51e0de991ab

All sessions are virtual. Register today and stay informed and prepared for the 2026-2027 program year!

09/25/2026

Learning starts at birth, and books at home help make it happen. At NEEC, we're thankful for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which mails a free book every month to children from birth to age 5. . 📚💗

Give Like Dolly Day is coming September 25!

Dolly Parton believed in giving back and helping children dream bigger—and this year, we’re celebrating that spirit through Give Like Dolly Day.

On September 25, we’re inviting communities all over the world to join us in giving back to children by supporting your local Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program. Your support helps make it possible for the children in your community to receive a free, high-quality book every month from birth to age 5.

Learn more and find the Imagination Library program serving your community: imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability