The UCHRA Childcare Initiative has made significant progress since its initial grant opportunity for childcare three years ago.
Executive Director Mark Farley said it will take much more work and more time to fully meet the need. Farley said through grants and loans over the last three years, they have assisted five to ten providers in expanding their capacity or to build new facilities. He said these efforts have made the opening of childcare centers possible that otherwise would not have moved forward.
“For our economy to work, young families have to have someplace to take their children so that they can go and be employed and help earn an income for the household,” Farley said. “And when we lack capacity in the Upper Cumberland region, that means there are young families who have to make difficult choices about what to do with their young children.”
Farley said the goal is to increase the number of childcare centers to fix this ongoing problem. Farley said he commends the state for recognizing the need to increase investments to encourage the expansion of childcare facilities. Farley said he does not want a situation where families feel inadequate or feel they have to put their child in an unsafe position.
“Our loan program is designed for those businesses for on the margin that makes sense from a business standpoint,” Farley said. “Maybe the owner hasn’t developed enough collateral or a credit rating enough to go to a traditional bank, and our goal is to get them up and running.”
Farley said he recognized the bureaucratic challenges faced by childcare providers, such as daycare centers. He said that beyond financial support, the work being done with Tennessee State agencies aims to reduce the burden on these centers.
“We’re also working with state and federal leaders to help them understand how to reduce the bureaucratic red tape that is out there,” Farley said. “And hinders someone from opening a daycare.”
