Tennessee’s Innovative Solutions for Working Families

Tennessee tackles the child care crisis through partnerships to increase child care access and quality, providing innovative solutions for working families.

By Kim Madlom on January 13, 2025

©Journal Communications/Antony Boshier

Tennessee proactively addresses the childcare crisis and supports working families throughout the Volunteer State.

Tennessee’s Childcare Challenge: Meeting the Needs of Working Families

Thanks to collaborative efforts between state agencies, businesses and community organizations, Tennessee is making strides in improving child care access and quality for working families. Companies like Tyson Foods are investing in employer-sponsored child care centers. And partnerships with organizations like the Clarksville-Montgomery County Industrial Development Board (IDB) are expanding early childhood education options for workers in local industries. 

Child care is a critical need in the state. A 2022 Tennessee Child Care Task Force report found that the state needs to double the number of licensed child care programs to meet current needs. However, child care is costly, averaging $11,000 a year in 2022. 

Tyson Foods opened the Tyson Learning Center (TLC) near its plant in Humboldt in West Tennessee. TLC offers affordable child care options for Tyson employees, helping them balance work and family life. The center was built with an investment of nearly $5 million. It can care for over 100 children and will be run by KinderCare. Tyson is subsidizing tuition to make it even more affordable for its employees. 

“The challenge for an organization like Tyson is running child care facilities is expensive, and it’s not a core business activity,” says Garrett Dolan, associate director of human resources at Tyson Foods. “But we’re entering a space where companies now need to do new things to attract labor and make sure labor can stay. It’s no longer enough to just say, ‘We’re going to give you a wage, and we’re going to give you medical benefits.’ We have to step in and start solving people’s problems, like child care.” 

In partnership with the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Human Services granted the Tyson Learning Center a $150,000 Establishment Grant to purchase curriculum, classroom furniture and playground equipment, all elements of a high-quality program. In addition to Tyson’s subsidy, employees can apply for additional state funds to help with costs. 

Memphis Botanic Garden

Youth Academy: Affordable Childcare for Industrial Park Employees

In Clarksville, The Youth Academy, which opened in 2024, offers 800 full-time child care slots, including 400 reduced-rate slots for employees of companies in the industrial park operated by the IDB and military-affiliated families. 

The idea for the center came from a former IDB executive director who struggled to find affordable child care after moving to Clarksville. This led to discussions about creating a center within the park that would offer flexible hours to accommodate first- and second-shift workers. 

Josh Ward, IDB executive director, says the partnership between the IDB and Youth Academy helped to reduce the risks and costs associated with opening a child care center and made it easier for the operator to provide valuable services to the community. 

“This is a game-changer for our businesses,” Ward says. “It helps us attract and retain top talent. Plus, it’s a high-quality center with amazing facilities.”