Chattanooga 2.0 staff announced Monday that applications for Quality Matters Fund child care teacher tuition assistance are now open. Child care teachers who both live within Hamilton County and work in a child care program located in Hamilton County are eligible for up to $1,200 in tuition and fees at one of two local colleges.
QMF tuition assistance can be applied towards early childhood classes at either UTC or Chattanooga State Community College. Chattanooga State conducts early childhood classes that run in 7-week or 15-week increments, with evening times available for virtual or in-person courses.
Early childhood leaders from the Early Matters action team, local universities, and local government aim to increase the retention of quality child care teachers in the county through higher education and increased pay.
“There is a child care staffing shortage and we know that hourly pay below a living wage is one of the key reasons talented, long-time child care teachers are leaving the profession,” said Jennifer Andrews, Chattanooga 2.0 director of early childhood strategies. “Teachers have also shared with us that tuition is one of the greatest barriers to continuing their higher education. With the Quality Matters Fund, we hope to remove the tuition barrier and increase the number of teachers on the WAGE$ pay scale.”
Child Care WAGE$ is a statewide program for child care teachers operated by the Tennessee Department of Human Services and managed by Signal Centers, which is located in Chattanooga.
The program rewards early childhood educators with financial incentives based on their education and continuity of employment. The more classes a teacher takes, the higher their twice-annual stipend from the state. To get on the pay scale, teachers must be employed at the same location for six months and have at least two higher education courses in early childhood education.
The QMF funds may also be used to cover the TECTA co-pay at Chattanooga State as well as CDA portfolio and exam assistance through the college.
Teachers interested in applying for tuition assistance should visit www.chatt2.org/qmf to learn more. A technical assistance webinar during which teachers can ask questions and hear about the Chattanooga State early education program will be held Monday at 6 p.m.