Tennessee, like all states, has a unique early childhood policy landscape that is shaped by economics, demographics, political history, coalitions, and other factors that create a state-specific environment for policy advocacy.
State early childhood policy progress is dependent both on the state’s environment and the numerous efforts—by the organizations listed on this page, other organizations, parents, policymakers, practitioners, and more—who work both independently and collaboratively to achieve wins for young children.
Research shows that family economic security is foundational to children’s overall wellbeing. Research also shows that widespread disparities in opportunity (especially by race) drive wide disparities in outcomes. States with policies that offer strong support to young children and their families are more likely to see 1) declining numbers of children in low-income households and 2) low racial disparity among those children.
Young Children in Low-Income Households: Declining
Approximately 44% (322,000) of the state’s children 0-8 live in households below 200% FPL (2022). This number represents a decrease from 48% (343,000) in 2017.1
Racial Disparity Among Young Children Living in Low-Income Households: High
Black, Hispanic/Latino, and/or Native children aged 0-8 are significantly more likely to be living in households below 200% FPL than are Asian and non-Hispanic White children.2
State General Fund Appropriations: Declining
In 2024, Tennessee’s governor signed the state’s fiscal 2025 budget that appropriates $52.8 billion in all funds, a decrease of 13.5 percent from fiscal 2024 (as cited in the 2023-2024 Fact Book). Spending from state revenues is estimated at $25.7 billion for fiscal 2025; a decrease from the 2024 budget’s allocation of $30.7 billion from state funds. The revenue forecast projects general fund revenues of $19.2 billion in fiscal 2025, an increase of 0.5 percent over fiscal 2024. The budget dedicates $100.0 million to the state’s Rainy Day Fund, bringing totals to an historic $2.15 billion.3
Key Revenue Sources (after federal transfers):4
Charges are public payments connected with a specific government service, such as tuition paid to a state university, payments to a public hospital, or highway tolls. Tennessee does not have a personal income tax.
State Budget Rules:4
Tennessee uses an annual budget. The legislature is not required to pass a balanced budget, nor is the governor required to sign one, and deficits may be carried over into the following year. However, the state has budget rules that require lawmakers to balance revenues and expenditures. Tennessee also limits annual spending growth with a budget rule based on personal income growth. The limitation can be overridden with a simple legislative majority vote, though. Tennessee also limits total authorized debt and debt service incurred by the state.
Political Alignment: Aligned Republican
During the 2024 session, the state’s Senate and House were both Republican controlled. The state’s Governor was also a Republican.5
Types of Common Ballot Measures Available:6 One
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Organizations Include:
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Multi-State Initiatives Include:7
Highlights from the state’s early childhood policy advocacy community include:8
Advocates worked with policymakers and the governor to pass a budget that increases K-12 funding by $261 million. This includes additional investments in teacher salaries toward the state’s commitment to bring public school teacher salaries to a minimum base of $50,000 by 2026.
$15 million was included as expected for the “Childcare Improvement Fund.” This represents the second of three payments toward a $45 million program established last year. These funds are administered through the Department of Human Services as grants to nonprofits to creatively address the state’s child care crisis.
A new recurring investment of $8 million will add 114 additional school-based behavioral health counselors. Currently there are 274 counselors who cover about 330 of the roughly 1,900 public schools in Tennessee. The new additions would help continue moving Tennessee the right direction toward the recommended ratio of 1 counselor for every 250 students per the American School Counselor Association.
Two bills that will study the challenges and solutions for addressing aspects of the child care crisis were successfully enacted and funded. These studies will be valuable in helping legislators better understand the issues and have more confidence in proposing solutions. Both bills tapped the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) to do the analysis.
The Alliance’s lead ally in Tennessee, Tennesseans for Quality Early Education (TQEE), works to close opportunity gaps so all young children birth through third grade access the quality early learning settings, excellent health and mental health care, and family supports they need to thrive. They do this by 1) supporting diverse communities across Tennessee to strengthen their local early care and education systems and 2) mobilizing those communities and early childhood champions across the state to challenge inequitable state policies.
Tennesseans for Quality Early Education is working to advance early childhood policies in several areas that align with the Alliance’s birth-through-eight policy framework:
Child Care
Child Care Workforce
Preschool and Pre-K
K-3rd Grade
Maternal Health
Infant & Child Health
Early Intervention (Age 0-3)
Home Visiting
Early Childhood Governance
Financing
Click here for more information on advocates’ policy agenda.
Alliance for Early Success convenings, connections, and community fueled the Bright Start Tennessee Dashboard–Tennessee advocates’ new, highly tailored early childhood data portal. Now that each of the Bright Start regions has access to the regularly updated dashboard, they’re better equipped to measure progress and champion state policies with regional and local data.
NOTES:
1 Kids Count Data Center, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, January, 2024.
2 National Center for Children in Poverty, Children Ages 0 through 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, October 2024, NCCP analysis of ACS 5-Year Estimates – Public Use Microdata Sample 2018-2022
3 National Association of State Budget Officers, Proposed and Enacted Budgets, FY 2025.
4 Urban Institute, State Fiscal Briefs, June 2024.
5 National Conference of State Legislatures, 2024 State & Legislative Partisan Composition, April 29, 2024.
6 Ballotpedia, Ballot Measures by State, Kids Count Data Center, retrieved July, 2024.
7 Alliance for Early Success, Multi-State Initiatives for Early Childhood Policy Advocacy, July, 2024.
8 Alliance for Early Success, State-Wide Advocacy Highlights Survey, April-October, 2024; and 2024 Prenatal-to-3 Legislative Highlights, Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, July, 2024.
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© 2025 Alliance for Early Success
The Alliance for Early Success does not endorse or advocate for specific legislation or candidates.
