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Senate advances 'Promise Futures' pilots to shore up childcare workforce and employer investment
Summary
Senate Bill 2062 would create a 'Promise Futures' fund to pilot a childcare workforce scholarship ($5M) and a tri-share employer–employee–state program ($5M). Sponsor described enrollment supports, marketing, and a third-party administrator; committee approved and sent it to finance.
Senate Bill 2062, carried by Senator Watson, would establish a Promise Futures fund to pilot two targeted approaches to expand childcare capacity and retain childcare workers: a childcare workforce scholarship and a 'Care Share Tennessee' tri-share program.
Watson described the two pilots and said the bill proposes $5,000,000 for the childcare workforce scholarship pilot and $5,000,000 for the Care Share (tri-share) pilot. He said the scholarship program would cover tuition for workers who agree to work in childcare, while the tri-share splits childcare costs between the employee, employer and state (each paying one-third). "The funds, for this will be allocated as follows, 5,000,000 for the childcare workforce scholarship pilot program, $5,000,000 for the care share," the sponsor said in committee.
The sponsor said the Department of Human Services would administer the scholarship and a third-party administrator would manage the tri-share program. He described an expectation that employers would contribute directly or through a single fiscal mechanism administered by a contracted entity. Members voiced support and the committee voted to send the bill to finance.
