Chattanooga 2.0 program used $500,000 in ARPA funds to boost childcare workforce retention

Jennifer Andrews, director of early childhood strategies for Chattanooga 2.0, told the City Council on a presentation that the nonprofit used a $500,000 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) award to shore up the local child-care workforce and reduce classroom vacancies.

The Quality Matters Fund provided tuition assistance, open-source substitute lesson plans, dedicated substitute staff at six centers, and targeted workforce training, the presenters said. The goal was to connect teacher education to state wage supplements and improve retention.

“We applied for a half $1,000,000 for in ARPA funds to bolster the childcare system,” Andrews said, explaining the program’s intent to spur retention by supporting teachers’ education and pay pathways. Chattanooga 2.0 said it funded tuition assistance that supported 65 teachers and 135 classes and that 22% of the teachers who used tuition aid moved onto the state wage supplement scale used in Tennessee. The presentation said 271 teachers participated in at least one Quality Matters Fund program — about 20% of the early-childhood workforce in Hamilton County — from 62 different childcare agencies.

Presenters described an open-source substitute lesson-plan toolkit written by local teachers and distributed one copy to each of the roughly 2,220 childcare providers in Hamilton County. The kits and printed copies were intended to limit disruption when teachers take leave, the presentation said. Andrews said the fund also paid for one dedicated substitute at six centers; those centers reported reduced turnover (75% reported zero turnover in the period after the substitute was funded) and improved staff capacity.

The fund supported four workforce-training tracks: STEAM fellows at the Creative Discovery Museum, artist-residency teaching cohorts run through the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, a workshop called Calm in the Chaos on managing challenging behaviors, and a statewide early-childhood conference. Presenters said the Creative Discovery Museum cohort provided continuing education credits and fresh classroom practices that teachers said increased job satisfaction.

Councilor Hester praised the program’s focus on early intervention and kindergarten readiness during the council’s question period.

Chattanooga 2.0 recommended continuing tuition assistance, maintaining unique workforce opportunities tailored to childcare, funding small childcare businesses, and expanding substitute pools. Presenters said the combination of education, on-site supports and small-business relief helped teachers remain in the classroom and kept centers open.

The presentation and follow-up questions made a clear distinction between discussion and formal action: council members asked questions but the session recorded no vote or formal directive on continuing the program. The ARPA award and program results were reported to the council for information and future consideration.