Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, ChildcareTennessee.com and Human Services Supporting Child Care Centers

Do you know a childcare center that could put $4,000 to good use?
Hundreds of child care centers throughout the state of Tennessee already have signed up to take advantage of Support and Enhancement Grants made possible through a partnership with The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS).
Announced in late October 2019, the partnership provides shared services and administers grants through ChildcareTennessee.com for child care agencies licensed by TDHS.
Shared services are essential to helping child care centers save time and money.
ChildcareTennessee.com makes available to 2,300 child care agencies more than 2,000 resources to assist child care directors with administrative tasks, from HR resources to staying compliant with federal and state regulations. These downloadable resources take some of the administrative load off directors so they can focus on what matters most — more than 161,000 of Tennessee’s children.
By logging into the ChildcareTennessee.com website, child care directors can also view multiple vendors offering discounts that provide cost savings in child care administration. Directors can then reallocate those savings to better support the children they serve.
Examples of potential savings include 20% on child care products and supplies, 10%-30% on food and food service supplies and 12%-45% on office supplies.
TDHS Support and Enhancement Grants will allow any child care provider licensed with the state agency to apply for up to $4,000 to enhance equipment, programs, including supplies, and consultants and coaches.
Child care agencies in one of the 15 economically distressed counties identified in Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s Executive Order No. 1 may apply for up to $5,000. These counties include Bledsoe, Clay, Cocke, Fentress, Grundy, Hardeman, Hancock, Jackson, Lake, Lauderdale, McNairy, Morgan, Perry, Scott and Van Buren.
Annette Bishop, a child care agency director located in Lawrence County, was recently awarded her organization’s grant money.
“I am more than excited about the Enhancement Grant, in particular for group and family child care,” Bishop said. “The morale boost is much needed and very timely.
“The application was very manageable,’ she continued. “Plus, the ChildcareTennessee team treated me with respect and prompt attention whenever I had questions and concerns about the process.”
ChildcareTennessee has regional coordinators meeting with child care centers statewide to train on usage of the website, as well as to assist with grant applications.
Registering on ChildcareTennessee.com is free until Sept. 30, 2020. Child care directors can register now and set up an account to start utilizing shared services.
Support and Enhancement Grant applications are open and licensed agencies can apply on ChildcareTennessee.com. Applications close on Aug. 31, 2020.
For more information and to begin exploring shared services, visit ChildcareTennessee.com.