Child care assistance available to eligible families

NASHVILLE - The Tenn. Dept. of Human Services has announced that additional Smart Steps childcare payment assistance is available across the state as a resource for income-eligible parents who are working, pursuing postsecondary education, or a combination of both.

Families are often faced with the difficult task and balancing act of juggling their household budget; work hours; and having a safe, reliable and enriching child care environment for their children, state officials said.

More than 2,900 families have signed up for the Smart Steps program since its launch in June 2016 on a first come first serve basis.

TDHS is now offering 2,100 additional slots in order to reach families in need of affordable quality child care across the state. These new slots will be available effective February, 1 2017. Several of those slots are in Hancock and Grainger counties.

Smart Steps is available to income-eligible working parents and parents pursuing postsecondary education that have children ages six weeks to five years of age.

Families that participate in Smart Steps are responsible for a portion of their child care costs or co-pay based on a sliding income scale. As part of the program, children will be enrolled in quality, affordable, child care facilities and also enrolled in the Imagination Library which provides children age five and under a brand-new hard-cover book each month, which is delivered to their mailbox, at no cost whatsoever to their parents.

Smart Steps participants can choose from more than 2,400 DHS licensed child care facilities across the state.

Applications are available at DHS county offices or at: www.tn.gov/humanservices/topic/child-care-services.

Space is limited in the program and will be awarded to eligible families on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information on the Smart Steps Child Care Payment Assistance Program please call visit www.tn.gov/humanservices/topic/child-care-services or call 615-313-3893.