House committee advances bill to offer teacher assistance with childcare

Tennessee teachers could receive help with childcare under legislation that advanced from a key House committee Wednesday.Representative Scott Cepicky’s, R-Culleoka, bill would authorize school districts and public charter schools to reimburse teachers 66 percent of their monthly childcare expenses.Teachers must be actively teaching to receive this reimbursement and their children must be between the ages of six weeks to six-years-old to be eligible for childcare. Schools would be able to divide the amount reimbursed based on the number of days the teacher taught during the month.Cepicky says he hopes the legislation will attract more teachers to combat the state’s teaching shortage.“Governor Lee, in the State of the State, talked about coming up with incentives for our teachers to be reengaged in the classroom as quickly as we can, and attract more people to the teaching profession. This is one of the tools that we’ve come up to work on this,” said Cepicky.According to the Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS) 2020 and 2023 “Determining Child Care Market Rates in the State of Tennessee” reports, the average rates for childcare services for infants and under school age are $703 per month and $8,436 per year for 2020. That increased in 2023 to $1,089 per month and $13,068 per year.The cost is estimated to continue increasing by 18.3 percent per year.Out of the more than 78,000 teachers employed in a Tennessee school district or public charter school for the 2023-24 school year, just over 66,600 of those teachers are eligible for childcare reimbursement. It is also estimated that just over 6,000 licensed teachers are likely to have a child that falls within the eligible age range.According to Cepicky, school districts and public charter schools will split 33 percent of the childcare responsibilities with the state of Tennessee and the teachers.The bill found support on the committee, but some members did express concern about the financial impact of the bill due to its hefty fiscal note and how the number of children will fluctuate each year.Representative Todd Warner, R-Chapel Hill, questioned the potential impact on rural counties.“I like the idea, I do, but what I see here maybe happening – and maybe I’m wrong – but I see maybe some of the rural counties where they may struggle to provide this option may pull teachers into some of (the counties) that could afford it,” said Warner.Cepicky’s bill now go to the Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee.