Overton Hoping To Create Affordable Childcare Facility
Overton County officials are seeking a $250,000 Three-Star grant to help bring a new affordable childcare facility to the community. Livingston-Overton County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Zach Stephens proposed the idea to the county commission Monday night. Stephens proposed a plan to repurpose the current Health Department building into a childcare center that could […]
Recent State Investment Can Help UC Childcare Facilities
Governor Bill Lee announced Wednesday that the state will invest an additional estimated $7.2 million in the state’s WAGE$ Program, which could be beneficial to child care facilities in the region. The WAGE$ program was designed to help pay salaries for educators and early child care facilities across the state. The Governor’s recent investment will […]
UCHRA Working On Two New Programs To Help Families
UCHRA developing two new programs to further increase the quality of life for families throughout the Upper Cumberland. Executive Director Mark Farley said UCHRA plans to partner with the Putnam County Schools, pending funding, to assist the families of pre schoolers attending the new Early Learning Center. Farley said he hopes to assist these families […]
UC Head Start Officials Worry About Federal Budget Cuts
LBJ&C Head Start officials said funding for this year is set, but federal spending cuts are a long-term concern. The federally-funded program provides free early childhood education services to low income families. LBJ&C Director Penny Meadows said Head Start needs funding to stay the same or increase so it can continue to help people across […]
New Crossville Daycare Aims To Alleviate Lack Of Options
A new daycare facility called Crossroads Academy set to open this July to combat the lack of daycare options for Crossville’s school-aged children. Co-Owner Laura Brock is a retired teacher. She said she has seen parents struggle for years to care for their children in the hours immediately after school. Brock said the facility will […]
UCDD Promotes Smith To New Economic Development Role
The Upper Cumberland Development District has promoted Rosa Smith to Assistant Director of Economic Development. Smith originally joined the UCDD as an Economic Development Planner focused on addressing the Upper Cumberland’s childcare shortage. She has focused on spreading awareness about childcare challenges in the region. Smith has also sought to find ways to make childcare […]
UCHRA Excited About New Grant Opportunity Regarding Childcare Facilities
UCHRA eager to see how a new state grant opportunity to will play out in terms of addressing needs for childcare facilities. The Community Child Care Hub Pilot Grant will make available up to $5 million to help develop and establish locally managed childcare administrative hubs that will support networks of newly licensed childcare locations. […]
UCDD/UCHRA Continuing To Work On Childcare Cost Burden Solutions
Another signal of the lack of childcare in Putnam County: the most recent state child well-being report, where Putnam ranked 85th in childcare cost burden. UCDD/UCHRA Executive Director Mark Farley said the two biggest issues are affordability and capacity. He said that stems from the difficulty of opening a daycare facility in general. “Work with […]
Local Childcare Facilities Seeing Continued Trends Of Long Waitlists
One local childcare facility says parents are putting their child on the waitlist as soon as they find out they’re pregnant. Danielle Preston is the Co-Director of Little Sprouts Mother’s Day Out in Cookeville. She said the long waitlist is in response to working parents struggling to find childcare facilities. A recent state report revealed […]
An Additional 300 Childcare Spots Coming To The UC Through Grant Projects
Three hundred childcare slots and over 50 jobs will open thanks to a state grant program benefiting seven Upper Cumberland counties. Lending and Economic Development Director Megan Choate said the additional childcare space comes from nine projects that received state funding. “This is the first year that they have allowed a change in their community […]
