NASHVILLE, TN – As part of the commitment to improve affordable child care services for Tennesseans across the state, the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) is taking significant steps to bolster child care access for families in need. Beginning October 1st, a majority of licensed child care agencies participating in the Child Care Certificate Program will receive increased reimbursement rates.

With Tennessee currently ranked among the top five states within the U.S. in recognition to the Project SEARCH graduation outcome, securing a 97% post-graduation employment rate with wages at a minimum of $12/hour and working an average of 26+ hours/week, the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) Division of Rehabilitation Services today announced ongoing opportunities for employers and students to participate in the nationally acclaimed Project SEARCH model, which offers transition services to high school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to help them into employment through hands-on training and internships. TDHS Rehabilitation Services is diligently working to increase the reach of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services and connect more Tennesseans with disabilities to employment and educational opportunities by forging new community partnerships.

NASHVILLE, TN – The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) celebrated that the department has partnered with Tyson Foods, one of the world’s largest food companies, to provide employees at their Humboldt, TN location with employer-sponsored on-site child care. In collaboration with TDHS and KinderCare, a provider in early childhood and school-age education and care, Tyson Foods will provide access to child care to eligible employees through development of their new Tyson Learning Center.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) will provide extra support to more than 13,000 families who receive monthly cash assistance through the state’s Families First program. The payment will provide extra support to Families First participants as they begin to prepare for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year. Households with an active case in the Families First Program as of July 1, 2023, will receive a one-time payment on their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. This one-time payment will be available around July 15, 2023.

NASHVILLE, TN – The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) has opened applications for Community Child Care Hub Pilot Grants, an initiative that will make available up to $5 million dollars in funding to public/government and non-profit organizations as a way to develop and establish locally managed child care administrative hubs that will support networks of newly licensed child care locations.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Human Services today announced the details on the second distribution of Pandemic Electronic Benefit (P-EBT) Program for the 2022-2023 academic year and Summer 2023.

NASHVILLE, TN – The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) and partner organizations are recognizing June 15th as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) by bringing awareness to the signs of abuse, methods to report abuse, and resources for caretakers.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) is making assistance available to support the health and well-being of individuals impacted by the severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes from March 31, 2023 and April 1, 2023. Qualifying households who lived or worked in Cannon, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Lewis, Macon, McNairy, Rutherford, Tipton, and Wayne counties that experienced loss as a result of the March 31st and April 1st, 2023, storms are now able to apply for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) benefits.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) today announced the first round of 40 grant recipients for the Families First Community Grant Program, an initiative that will award more than $95 million in funding to organizations providing innovative direct services to support Tennessee families in need. The grant program was created through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Opportunity Act, bi-partisan legislation which was passed and signed by Governor Bill Lee in May 2021 in an effort to effectively spend a surplus of federal TANF funds.

CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM Waiver for the National School Lunch Program Verification Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Human Services today announced details on the distribution of Pandemic Electronic Benefit (P-EBT) Program for the 2022-2023 school year. P-EBT is a COVID-19 relief program that provides nutritional benefits to children eligible for the National School Lunch Program who may have missed meals due to COVID-19. The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) distributes P-EBT benefits based on records provided by the Tennessee Department of Education (DOE) along with guidelines and funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) is announcing its participation in the 2023 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the opening of this year’s application period. The goal of the Summer Food Service Program is to ensure children 18 and younger, who benefit from meal programs at school, continue to have that same access to nutritious meals when school is out for the summer.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) is providing extra support to thousands of families who receive monthly cash assistance through the state’s Families First program. Households with a case in the Families First Program as of December 1, 2022, will receive a one-time additional payment of $500 on their existing Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. This one-time payment will be available beginning December 1, 2022.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services announces the distribution of Summer Pandemic Electronic Benefit Program (P-EBT) beginning the week of September 26.