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Tennesseans believe early education is key to ‘right track’ for public education

New poll of Tennessee voters shows overwhelming support for policy proposals to improve early learning outcomes birth to third grade. In the current partisan environment, Tennessee Republicans and Democrats often agree on very little. But when it comes to education, they’re strongly united in the view that the state’s public education system is on the…

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$1 Billion and Change

How could this be? Why didn’t Tennessee policymakers know? What should we do with all this money? Those are questions being asked in response to a recent report issued by the Beacon Center, a conservative Tennessee think tank. In October Beacon reported that Tennessee has amassed a $732 million surplus reserve of federal TANF (Temporary…

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TQEE Day on the Hill 2020

It’s that time of year again! Time, that is, to take our case for kids to the Hill, and we’re doing it on Wednesday, February 19, 2020. Mark your calendars to join us and RSVP here now! Your support at TQEE Day on the Hill 2019 made a big difference for Tennessee’s young children!! Because…

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Mayors Appreciation Luncheon Links Early Education and Workforce

Mayors from West and Middle Tennessee gathered at Natchez Trace State Park in September to celebrate early education successes and learn more about the link between early education and a highly skilled workforce. Headlining the event was Tennessee’s Commissioner for Labor and Workforce Development, Jeff McCord. Joining Commissioner McCord was Dr. Jared Bigham, the Senior…

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Blair Taylor
Last Updated On: Posted inMayors Coalition

Tennessee Child Care Crisis Solutions Series: Introduction

Having published the report, Want to Grow Tennessee’s Economy? Fix the Child Care Crisis, TQEE is now dedicated to doing just that. The study revealed that Tennessee’s child care system is rife with problems of affordability, quality and access. Fixing it will require more than tweaks to component parts.  The child care system is a…

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Blair Taylor
Last Updated On: Posted inChild Care, Issues

Government Resources Available to Help Fix the Child Care Crisis

As mentioned in our Child Care Crisis Solutions Series Introduction, child care plays many roles in Tennessee’s economy. It’s a business, a job, an early education, and a crucial work support for working families. And while private sector can and should be part of the solution to the crisis, government has a major role to…

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Blair Taylor
Last Updated On: Posted inChild Care, Issues

Shared Services Networks: A Smart Solution for Growing More Affordable, High-Quality Child Care

Tennessee has a large child care industry sector, made up primarily of home-based, sole proprietors, but to meet market demand, the sector needs to grow substantially.  There are 13,185 market-based child care providers in Tennessee with a combined revenue of $752 million; but the number of providers is down 11.4% since 2010.  At the same…

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How Technology Can Be A Game-Changer for Child Care

Remember the paper and pencil world? The vast majority of child care providers still operate there, missing out on the tremendous advantages technology can provide. For example, many have yet to avail themselves of the opportunity to collect tuition through the use of an online payment system. But today, according to a 2017 AITE study,…

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Blair Taylor
Last Updated On: Posted inChild Care, Issues

Business Strategies for Supporting Employee-Parents

Many businesses today are finding that offering child care benefits can give them a competitive edge and generate a return on investment through employee retention and productivity. Patagonia, for example, has long made headlines for finding ways to solve the child care puzzle of today’s modern worker. In 1983, they brought child care on-site, and have seen…

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Blair Taylor
Last Updated On: Posted inChild Care, Issues

Child Care Report News and Press

Our child care report series has garnered a lot of great press across the state, with more to come! We’re keeping track of it all here so it’s easy to find for our coalition members. Murfreesboro’s Daily News Journal: https://www.dnj.com/story/news/2019/09/14/childcare-tennessee-workforce-child-care-needs-cost-revenue-families/2266422001/ Clarksville’s The Leaf Chronicle: https://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/news/2019/09/14/childcare-tennessee-workforce-child-care-needs-cost-revenue-families/2266422001/ Jackson Sun: https://www.jacksonsun.com/story/news/2019/09/14/childcare-tennessee-workforce-child-care-needs-cost-revenue-families/2266422001/ Nashville’s Tennessean: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2019/09/14/childcare-tennessee-workforce-child-care-needs-cost-revenue-families/2266422001/ Knoxville News Sentinel: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2019/09/18/affordable-child-care-knoxville-tennessee/2354266001/…

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Become a Loud Voice for Little Kids

A child yelling into a megaphone