Tennessee working to make childcare easier to find and more affordable

The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) is announcing additional steps to help parents navigate the balance of raising a family and holding down a job. Beginning October 1, 2021, TDHS will increase child care payment assistance rates by 10% across all categories of care in the Child Care Certificate Program

Under this program, the state pays a directly to child care providers on behalf of families who are enrolled and meet the income and work or education requirements of the program. This overall rate increase will save many participating families money by reducing the portion they h...