Tennessee families urge lawmakers to invest in early childhood education

More than one hundred families rallied outside the state capitol on Tuesday morning, urging Tennessee lawmakers to increase investment in early childhood education.

While the organizers of the rally, Tennesseans for Quality Early Education, said that they are not focused on specific legislation, many parents say the rising cost of childcare is a major concern.

The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY) recently released its annual report and its findings show that the median annual rate for infant-based childcare is $13,926. That’s more than in-state tuition for the University of Tennessee, according to the report.

No support for childcare costs

TCCY Director of Data, Policy, and Communications Kylie Graves wrote that report and attended the rally with her 11-month-old daughter. She noted that even though childcare costs are often greater than college expenses, the latter affords families more financial support.

“There’s grants. There are scholarships. Families spend 17 years planning,” she told WPLN News.

Graves also cited student loans as a means to pay for college but stressed that those options aren’t available for infant childcare.

“A lot of these families are coming off of potentially unpaid family leave,” she said. “So, six weeks of unpaid leave and then taking on a cost that’s the same as college tuition.”

Still, Graves said that high quality childcare workers deserve to be well-compensated, and she hopes the state will help ensure this happens.

Federal funding cuts impacting childcare

Kennedy Tuggle, an education policy and advocacy associate for First State Memphis, echoed Graves’ concerns. She traveled with about 70 other people from West Tennessee to voice her concerns about how federal funding cuts impact families’ ability to work and care for their children.

She referred to the Child Care Development Fund – a federal program that provides states with funds to help families afford childcare. In Tennessee, the federal government cut those funds by $44.5 million for fiscal year 2025.

This cut, Tuggle said, has left many parents struggling to find childcare.

“Parents are being placed on waitlists. So, if you need child care, you aren’t able to get that at this moment,” she told WPLN News. “We’re wanting to share that large concern.”

Advocates are also pushing for paid family and paternal leave and mental health services for young kids. They say these investments will have long-term benefits for Tennessee’s economy and workforce.