Report Says Childcare In Tennessee Costs More Than University Tuition

Photo Credit: Northwest Tennessee Head Start/Early Head Start / Facebook

The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth in their annual State of the Child Report found that childcare in Tennessee costs more than in-state public university tuition. 

Policy analyst Kylie Graves, who wrote the report, said, “The median family in Tennessee with two children would save around 14 and a half thousand dollars if we capped childcare at 7 percent of family income.”

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In Sunday’s episode of Inside Tennessee with 10News, Governor Bill Lee said he was not sold on a 7 percent cap as a solution for affordable care. Lee said, “We’re looking at a lot of strategies, looking at the best path forward, but we don’t have a strategy that specific yet.”

The report also found that 60% of Tennessee’s children ages 3-5 are not enrolled in preschool, one of the highest rates in the country. 

The report went on to claim that the economic benefit to Tennessee if preschool was made universal would amount to $1.22 billion but almost half of Tennesseans have limited access to childcare with 3 children needing care for every available spot.

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.