Bill > HB1979

This bill, titled the "Promising Futures Act," establishes a dedicated fund to support various initiatives aimed at improving child care accessibility and affordability in Tennessee, recognizing that reliable child care is crucial for workforce participation, family economic stability, and child well-being, and that its absence is a significant barrier for employers. The "Promising Futures Fund" will be financed through various sources, including legislative appropriations and federal funds, and will be used to strengthen the child care workforce through a scholarship program offering "categorical eligibility" (meaning eligibility based solely on employment in the child care sector, regardless of income) for free child care for children of eligible child care workers. It also creates the "CareShare Tennessee" pilot program, an employer-supported child care assistance initiative where employers, employees, and the state share costs, with the state match decreasing as household income increases above 100% of the "state median income" (the most recent estimate of the median household income for residents of the state, adjusted for family size). Additionally, the bill establishes the "Smart Steps Plus" program to provide child care scholarships to working families whose incomes exceed current eligibility thresholds for existing assistance programs, with priority given to those supporting workforce participation. The Department of Human Services will oversee these programs, contracting with "third-party administrators" (private entities to manage programs) and marketing vendors, and will report annually on the fund's status, program effectiveness, and any identified barriers or recommendations for improvement, with all performance data independently verified.