Early Childhood Quality and Supports

In accordance with T.C.A. §§49-1-1101-1109, the department is mandated to inspect and approve all programs subject to the State Board's jurisdiction pursuant to T.C.A. §49-1-302(l).

All public and private school-administered infant/toddler, preschool, before and after school programs, as well as, approved Montessori programs, TEIS early intervention programs, school-based and community-based Lottery Education Afterschool Programs and 21st Century Community Learning Centers must be in compliance with Standards for Infant/Toddler, Preschool, and School-Age Extended Care Programs, Chapter 0520-12-01, adopted by the State Board of Education as defined in T.C.A. § 49-1-302(l) and certified by the Department of Education and verified through inspection by the Department's child care program evaluators.

General Information

Schools offer a variety of programs serving children under kindergarten age:

  • Infant/toddler care 6 weeks to 4 years in child development labs in high schools
  • Employee child care for children of teaching staff
  • Early intervention programs birth to 3 years old
  • Pre-kindergarten programs, including the TN Voluntary Pre-K classes
  • Non-public school child care as a part of their school's mission.

These programs are monitored regularly for compliance with all applicable rules in Chapter 0520-12-01 and are encouraged to provide nurturing activities to promote healthy physical and mental development.

In addition to compliance with Chapter 0520-12-01, the public school administered Pre-K programs (TN Voluntary Pre-K, Title I funded, and/or locally funded) must provide educational programs in compliance with Chapter 0520-01-03-.05(5) and correlated with the Tennessee Early Learning Development Standards.

For school-age children, the before and after school programs (also referred to as school-age care programs or extended school programs) must provide programs in compliance with Chapter 0520-12-01. School age care components should provide a blend of activities to promote experiential learning, development of social emotional skills, and physical activities.

The point of afterschool programs is not to extend the typical classroom format, but to provide an opportunity for students to engage in unique activities which support and reinforce learning.

Contact Your Local Evaluator

The table below lists the contact information for evaluators of child care programs and their geographic location.

First Name Last Name Email CORE Office Cell
Sam Anderson samanthia.anderson@tn.gov Middle (629) 259-3978
Billy Benton Billy.e.benton@tn.gov Middle- Supervisor (931) 239-1193
Adrienne Butler Adrienne.Butler@tn.gov Middle (931) 239-6819
Summer Cleek Summer.Cleek@tn.gov East- Supervisor (865) 963-5235
Tracy Davis tracy.davis@tn.gov Middle (615) 630-1150
Donna Henderson Donna.henderson@tn.gov West (629) 259-0874
Gwen Howard Gwen.howard@tn.gov East (629) 247-1855
Cynthia Johnston Cynthia.D.Johnston@tn.gov West (423) 202-6824
Amy Lawson Amy.Lawson@tn.gov East (615) 626-8911
Annabel Mainord Annabel.Mainord@tn.gov Middle (931) 797-7417
Jackie McCall Jackie.McCall@tn.gov West (901) 417-3598
Kathy Meredith kathy.meredith@tn.gov East (629) 259-3517
Salina Moorehead salina.moorehead@tn.gov Middle (615) 440-6825
Kristi Munson Kristi.D.Munson@tn.gov West (901) 569-3473
Nick Murdic nick.murdic@tn.gov Middle (615) 744-9283
Sharon Neely Sharon.Neely@tn.gov West (901) 356-4721
Jennifer Patrick Jennifer.Patrick@tn.gov West-Supervisor (615) 517-8236
Laken Reed laken.reed@tn.gov East (629) 259-5225
Steven Shumate Steven.Shumate@tn.gov Middle (615) 717-7203
Cynthia Templin Cynthia.R.Templin@tn.gov East (865) 712-6736
Chris Whitehead chris.whitehead@tn.gov Statewide Director (615) 585-8123
Tunyia Williams Tunyia.Williams@tn.gov West (901) 229-5611