Tennessee child care costs lead the Southeast, report finds
The cost of child care in Tennessee and around the nation is skyrocketing, with a new report finding that it's outpacing overall inflation.
Why it matters: Rising child care costs put a huge financial strain on families, Axios' Emily Peck reports. They can force some parents — typically women — to either ratchet back their working hours or leave the labor force entirely.
For single parents, the calculus can be even more painful.
Stunning stat: An annual report on Tennessee children found a year of infant care was more expensive than in-state tuition at all but one of the state's public universities.
By the numbers: The average annual cost of daycare tuition in Tennessee for two children — one toddler and one infant — rose to about $24,000 last year, according to data from Child Care Aware, an advocacy group.
That's the highest price tag for child care in the Southeast.
It's also a third of Tennessee's median household annual income, based on census data released in 2024.
What he's saying: Gov. Bill Lee acknowledged the burden in this year's State of the State address.
"If we really want to create an environment for families to thrive, we have to find innovative ways to make child care more accessible and more affordable," Lee said.
State of play: This year's budget included $10.9 million to bolster child care programs at Boys and Girls Club locations. Lee said that would help educate thousands of kids.
About $7.2 million will go toward growing a state program that offers supplemental income to child care workers in an effort to reduce turnover.
Nearly $6 million was added to expand child care support for low-income families.
Zoom out: Federal grants help fund state support for kids from low-income families.
The federal government also funds Head Start, the decades-old federal program that provides child care, nutrition assistance and other services to the nation's poorest families.
There were worries that the White House would stop funding Head Start, but the administration has said that won't happen.
Yes, but: President Trump's budget proposals look to keep federal funding levels for child care flat next year. That's a troubling sign given continued inflation, says Anne Hedgepeth, senior vice president of policy and research at Child Care Aware.
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Trump administration budget cut flip-flops leave southwest Georgia Head Start programs uncertain
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Several centers across the country were forced to close while awaiting funding. However, in early May, the administration released an updated 'skinny budget.' Head Start avoided the chopping block, but advocates remain nervous. In southwest Georgia, Head Start's parent organization, the Southwest Georgia Community Action Council, which serves low-income Georgians from housing assistance to health care, may see other cuts. 'The value of the program is undervalued and undermined,' Yolanda Daniels, the southwest Georgia Head Start program director said. 'Any threat to that is a threat to our communities as a whole.' Supporting the whole child and family A Terrell County Head Start classroom is alive with color and hands-on learning stations. A tiny play kitchen sits in one corner, and in another is an open space for dancing and exercising. The sounds of nursery rhymes, music and 'oohs' and 'ahhs' as children sound out letters can be heard behind every classroom door. Anita Ware, the Terrell County Child Development Center's supervisor, said each day is meticulously planned out from 8:30 a.m. until about 3 p.m for its 74 students. Head Start classrooms are packed full of stimulating activities for students. Staff Photo: Lucille Lannigan'There's no idle time,' she said. 'It guides teachers and students through a day of stimulation and fulfillment.' Classrooms are spaces for exploration as children fine tune their motor skills by stacking blocks, embrace their creativity in the 'art area' and learn responsibility by taking on classroom roles, like 'the nutritionist' who hands out meals or 'the librarian' who organizes the reading area. Daniels said more than just child care and education, Head Start supports the 'whole child and family.' Students receive health screenings and get scheduled for doctor's appointments at no charge to the families. 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He has plans to graduate with a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. As the principal at Cooper Carver Elementary School, Peters said she notices a difference in those students who went through Head Start – whether it's better test scores or skill sets as simple as patience while waiting in the lunch or bathroom line. 2025 Head Start growth reports released by the Community Action Council show significant gains in social/emotional, literacy and mathematics from fall 2024 until now among students in the program. Randy Weldon, the SWGACAC CEO, said these gains show how necessary Head Start is. Daniels said no Head Start would have a trickle-down effect on communities: a student body population less prepared for elementary school, parents unable to get to work, the inability for children with disabilities to get much-needed services. 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