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How the guarantee works →Tennessee child care assistance.
The program that helps Tennessee families pay for child care, who can apply, how to apply, and how providers take part. Last checked November 3, 2026.
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The program in Tennessee
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Program | Child Care Payment AssistanceSource: Child Care Payment Assistance, Tennessee Department of Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026. |
| Run by | Tennessee Department of Human ServicesSource: Child Care Payment Assistance, Tennessee Department of Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026. |
For families: who can apply
- The Smart Steps program covers children ages 6 weeks through kindergarten.Source: Child Care Payment Assistance, Tennessee Department of Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
- Smart Steps parents must average 30 or more hours a week of work or undergraduate education.Source: Child Care Payment Assistance, Tennessee Department of Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
- Smart Steps household income must be at or below 85% of the State Median Income.Source: Child Care Payment Assistance, Tennessee Department of Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
- Teen parents ages 13 to 19 who are enrolled in middle or high school may also get help.Source: Child Care Payment Assistance, Tennessee Department of Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
For families: how to apply
- Families apply online in the One DHS Customer Portal, or send a paper application to a local TDHS office.Source: Child Care Payment Assistance, Tennessee Department of Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.Apply in the One DHS Customer Portal
For providers: how to take part
- A child care agency must take part, or agree to take part, in the Child Care Certificate Program.Source: Child Care Certificate Program, Tennessee Department of Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
- Families can choose agencies licensed by TDHS or approved by the Department of Education.Source: Child Care Certificate Program, Tennessee Department of Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
- An individual caregiver must have a home that meets health and safety guidelines, pass a background check, and agree to training.Source: Child Care Certificate Program, Tennessee Department of Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
Limits Tennessee publishes
Each figure as the program publishes it, with the date the source gives.
| What | Figure | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Parent copay, share of countable monthly gross household income | 5%Source: Tennessee Child Care Certificate Program: Income Eligibility Limits and Parent Co-Pay Fees Effective October 1, 2025, Tennessee Department of Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026. | October 1, 2025 |
Questions about child care assistance in Tennessee
What is the child care assistance program in Tennessee called?
Child Care Payment Assistance. It is run by the Tennessee Department of Human Services.
Who can apply for child care assistance in Tennessee?
The Smart Steps program covers children ages 6 weeks through kindergarten. Smart Steps parents must average 30 or more hours a week of work or undergraduate education. Smart Steps household income must be at or below 85% of the State Median Income. Teen parents ages 13 to 19 who are enrolled in middle or high school may also get help.
How do families apply in Tennessee?
Families apply online in the One DHS Customer Portal, or send a paper application to a local TDHS office. Official page: https://onedhs.tn.gov/csp
How does a child care provider take part in Tennessee?
A child care agency must take part, or agree to take part, in the Child Care Certificate Program. Families can choose agencies licensed by TDHS or approved by the Department of Education. An individual caregiver must have a home that meets health and safety guidelines, pass a background check, and agree to training.
Sources
Every source is an official government page.
- Child Care Payment AssistanceTennessee Department of Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
- Child Care Certificate ProgramTennessee Department of Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
- Tennessee Child Care Certificate Program: Income Eligibility Limits and Parent Co-Pay Fees Effective October 1, 2025Tennessee Department of Human Services. Checked November 3, 2026.
About this page
We read each source above on an official government site on November 3, 2026. Each fact links to the page it came from.
If a fact is not here, we could not read it on an official page, so we left it out.
Programs change their rules, limits and forms. Confirm with the agency before you apply or enroll as a provider.
This page is a summary of public information. Bloomily does not run these programs or decide who qualifies.
More about child care in Tennessee
- Tennessee child care licensing
Ratios, required training and official rules for programs.
- Child care assistance in every state
Each page links every fact to the official page it came from.
Child care assistance in other states
- Alabama
Child Care Subsidy Program, run by the Alabama Department of Human Resources.
- Alaska
Child Care Assistance Program, run by the Alaska Department of Health.
- Arizona
Child Care Assistance Program, run by the Arizona Department of Economic Security.
- Arkansas
School Readiness Assistance, run by the Arkansas Department of Education, Office of Early Childhood.
- California
CalWORKs Child Care, run by the California Department of Social Services.
- Colorado
Colorado Child Care Assistance Program, run by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.
- Connecticut
Care 4 Kids, run by the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood.
- Delaware
Purchase of Care, run by the Delaware Division of Social Services.
- District of Columbia
DC Child Care Subsidy Program, run by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).
- Florida
School readiness program, run by the Florida Department of Education.
- Georgia
Childcare and Parent Services, run by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.
- Hawaii
Child Care Subsidy, run by the Hawaii Department of Human Services.
- Idaho
Idaho Child Care Program, run by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
- Illinois
Child Care Assistance Program, run by the Illinois Department of Early Childhood.
- Indiana
Child Care and Development Fund, run by the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration.
- Iowa
Child Care Assistance, run by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.
- Kansas
Child Care Assistance, run by the Kansas Department for Children and Families.
- Kentucky
Child Care Assistance Program, run by the Division of Child Care.
- Louisiana
Child Care Assistance Program, run by the Louisiana Department of Education.
- Maine
Child Care Affordability Program, run by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
- Massachusetts
Child Care Financial Assistance, run by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.
- Michigan
Child Development and Care, run by the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential.
- Minnesota
Child Care Assistance Program, run by the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
- Mississippi
Child Care Payment Program, run by the Mississippi Department of Human Services.
- Missouri
Child Care Subsidy Program, run by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Childhood.
- Montana
Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship, run by the Montana DPHHS Early Childhood and Family Support Division.
- Nebraska
Child Care Subsidy Program, run by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
- Nevada
Child Care and Development Program, run by the Nevada Division of Social Services.
- New Hampshire
NH Child Care Scholarship Program, run by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Child Development and Head Start Collaboration.
- New Jersey
New Jersey Child Care Assistance Program, run by the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development.
- New Mexico
Child Care Assistance, run by the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department.
- New York
Child Care Assistance Program, run by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.
- North Carolina
Subsidized Child Care Assistance Program, run by the NC DHHS Division of Child Development and Early Education.
- North Dakota
Child Care Assistance Program, run by the North Dakota Health and Human Services.
- Ohio
Publicly Funded Child Care, run by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth.
- Oklahoma
Child Care Subsidy Program, run by the Oklahoma Human Services.
- Oregon
Employment Related Day Care, run by the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care.
- Pennsylvania
Child Care Works, run by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
- Rhode Island
Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), run by the Rhode Island Department of Human Services.
- South Dakota
Child Care Assistance, run by the South Dakota Department of Social Services.
- Texas
Child Care Services, run by the Texas Workforce Commission.
- Utah
Employment Support Child Care, run by the Department of Workforce Services.
- Vermont
Child Care Financial Assistance Program, run by the Vermont Department for Children and Families, Child Development Division.
- Virginia
Child Care Subsidy Program, run by the Virginia Department of Education.
- Washington
Working Connections Child Care, run by the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
- West Virginia
Child Care Assistance, run by the West Virginia Department of Human Services, Bureau for Family Assistance.
- Wisconsin
Wisconsin Shares, run by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families.
- Wyoming
Child Care Subsidy Program, run by the Wyoming Department of Family Services.
Billing a family with a subsidy
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