Let’s coordinate, share ideas, and learn from our individual customer groups on how we can work together to better serve Tennessee’s low-income families.

As we continue to celebrate Father’s Day this month, we are excited to announce since launching our Fatherhood Grant Program in February 2025, we have already begun changing the lives of fathers across Tennessee. The services offered by our Fatherhood grantees provide fathers with resources that promote and encourage parent-child bonding through workshops, mental health support, and financial coaching. At TDHS, we firmly believe that the active involvement of both parents is not only crucial for children and families but also for the well-being of communities and the entire state of Tennessee.

With the Fatherhood Grant Program now well underway, we’d like to spotlight a few recent and upcoming events hosted by our grantees across Tennessee:

East Tennessee:

East Tennessee State University’s Fatherhood Connection Initiative has begun providing fatherhood workshops for fathers who have recently been released from incarceration or any father who has reached out to their program for help. These workshops provide guidance for fathers to address and overcome barriers that have limited their ability to be the best father they can be for their child.

Middle Tennessee:

The National Football League Alumni Association – Tennessee Chapter hosted its Training Camp for Dads on Saturday, June 21, 2025 at Maddox Grand Atrium at the Curb Center at Belmont University in Nashville.  With more than 500 fathers registered to attend, the event offered several father themed activities including “Drills and Skills”, while also providing essential health and safety tips for new dads, financial literacy, and mental health support.

West Tennessee:

Agape Child & Family Services, Inc.’s Becoming One Fatherhood Program is hosting their Igniting Change: A Workshop of Hope on Saturday, June 28th and Saturday July 12th at The Dwelling Place Church in Memphis. These workshops will provide fathers with valuable information on topics such as co-parenting, effective communication strategies, and conflict resolution, just to name a few.

These events—and the dedicated organizations behind them—are helping fathers connect with each other, build stronger families, and become the role models their children need. As this program continues to grow, we look forward to seeing even more Tennessee fathers empowered to thrive at home and in their communities. For more information on Fatherhood Grantees, visit https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/for-families/fatherhood-grants.html

Commissioner Carter addresses the audience at the Training Camp for Dads Event, hosted by the NFL Alumni Association - Tennessee Chapter, on June 21. 

NFL Alumni such as Michael Oher, Dexter McCluster, and Brad Hopkins speak with and sign autographs for event attendees.

The department has opened its applications for the 2025 Families First Community Grant Program, an initiative that will make available approximately $27 million in funding to non-profit organizations providing direct services to strengthen Tennessee families in need and promote self-sufficiency. Qualifying non-profit organizations are invited to apply here through July 10 at 5 p.m. CT. 

The Families First Community Grant program was created as an additional method to invest TANF funds in ways to help low-income families overcome barriers and help them move towards sustainable economic stability. The grants will support a wide range of services in the areas of education, health and well-being, economic stability and fostering safe, stable, and nurturing relationships. Grant recipients will be selected through a competitive application process and evaluated based upon their ability to provide effective services and programs that address the specific needs of the community.

We encourage all community-based, non-profit organizations ready to play a central role in the design and implementation of programs that address the unique problems of low-income families in their communities and fosters at least one of the federal TANF goals to submit an application for a Families First Community Grant. For more information on the application process visit: https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/tanf-opportunity-act/toa-grant-opportunities/families-first-community-grants.html.

Beginning June 13th, the department provided a $120 one-time payment directly to families in need across 15 counties through the Summer Nutrition Initiative. The initiative, previously announced by the Lee administration and approved by the Tennessee General Assembly, will serve eligible children in 15 counties who are currently enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Families First Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program. 

The fifteen counties were identified through Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) data as having limited access to SFSP meal sites and thus qualify to receive the one-time payment: Benton, Carroll, Carter, Cocke, Fayette, Grainger, Houston, Humphreys, Johnson, Lauderdale, Marshall, Moore, Rhea, Sequatchie, and Sumner.

The one-time TN Summer Nutrition Initiative benefit is available to children who are:

Eligible households do not need to apply for this benefit. Families in the targeted counties automatically received the benefit on their existing EBT cards beginning June 13, 2025. Benefits can be used anywhere EBT is accepted for purchasing food.

Once school is out, the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) begins. The SFSP is a partnership between the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, TDHS and community-based organizations to provide free meals to children in their communities throughout the summer.

This program, also known as SUN Meals, aims to ensure children 18 and younger, who benefit from school meal programs, continue to have access to nutritious meals during the summer months. The program traditionally runs from the end of May to August when the next school year begins.

No application is required for summer meals available at most meal sites.

Tennessee families can use the USDA Summer Meals Site finder to search for SUN Meals or SUN Meals to-Go in their city or county. Use the button below to find a meal site using the USDA Meal Site Finder.

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) has launched “Promise to Call,” a new effort to prevent suicide and save lives.

The concept is simple: Make a promise to yourself that you will reach out to someone if you ever have thoughts of suicide.  It can be a relative, a friend, a trusted advisor, or even 988.  Write the promise down and keep it somewhere close to you or program it as a contact in your phone.  Share the promise with others and spread awareness of resources like the 988 Lifeline and how to respond if someone reaches out in a time of crisis.

If that day comes and those thoughts occur, the goal is that people will remember the promise, act on it, reach out to someone who can help them see past the crisis point, and choose to live another day.  An additional goal of the campaign is to start a community conversation around suicide, raise awareness of resources, and reduce the stigma of mental health struggles.

For resources and more information visit: https://promisetocall.com/

The Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging (DDA) is accepting applications for competitive grant funding for senior centers. 

The Tennessee General Assembly has provided $5 million to be distributed to senior centers throughout the state.  The one-time funding is intended to support senior centers in providing older adults with access to resources, activities and social connection.

Senior centers are invited to apply for grant funding ranging from $10,000 to $50,000.  The grant funding is encouraged to fund the following goals:

To qualify for grant funding, the senior center must be:

The grant is not available to individuals or to long-term care and assisted living facilities.

Applications are due by 4:00 p.m. Central on August 8, 2025. Grant funding must be spent by March 31, 2027. 

Learn more about the grants at the DDA website:

https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/disability-and-aging/resource-directory/grants.html.

First Lady Maria Lee invites Tennessee students to participate in the seventh annual Tennessee Kids Serve Summer Challenge!

The statewide challenge is open to elementary students from rising kindergarten to rising sixth grade. The challenge began on Sunday, June 1, 2025 and concludes on Friday, August 1, 2025. To fulfill the challenge requirements, participants must complete a service activity from at least two of the eight service categories provided and a minimum of two service hours to complete the challenge.

The goal of the challenge is to instill in kids a heart for service and ask them to join the First Lady in devoting a small portion of their summer break to serving others. Since the challenge began in 2019, more than 3,000 kids across the state have participated, serving a total of 11,147 hours in their communities. Click here to learn more and register for the summer challenge.

All students who complete the challenge will receive a certificate of recognition signed by First Lady Maria Lee. Top challenge participants will be invited to join the Governor and First Lady for a carnival at the Tennessee Residence in September.

What: Public Hearing for Community Services Block Grant Draft State Plan

A public hearing to offer comments on Tennessee’s Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) draft application. The CSBG plan is developed every two years by the Tennessee Department of Human Services in conjunction with the Tennessee Association of Community Action (TACA) and its member agencies. The State Plan describes Tennessee’s goals and processes for creating and maintaining a high-quality community action network and a working draft can be found by clicking here.

When: July 9, 2025 2:00 pm CT

Where: Online through WebEx
Meeting number (access code):230 946 56155
Meeting password: b9JwZAu9kN8

By phone
+1-415-655-0001 US Toll
Meeting number: 2309 465 6155

Video system or application
Dial 23094656155@tn.webex.com

Or dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number: 2309 465 6155

What: Parents and Partners Connect – Child Support

A virtual question and answer session with Child Support professionals from the Tennessee Department of Human Services. These online sessions are an opportunity for Tennessee parents to get answers about Child Support Services from TDHS with topics including services offered by the TDHS, case classifications, the parties involved in child support, the application processes, and problem-solving.

If you’re new to child support in Tennessee or have questions about related services, this is a great opportunity to ask questions with experts.

When: July 16, 2025 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CT

Where: Online; Register Here

At TDHS, we are consistently looking for dedicated and enthusiastic individuals who are eager to make a meaningful difference in our state. If you are interested in joining our team, please review new career opportunities on our website.

Detailed listings on all open positions (Preferred and Executive Service) can be found at https://www.tn.gov/careers/apply-here.html. Preferred Service job postings through the Tennessee Department of Human Resources (DOHR) open on Thursday and close on the following Wednesday evening at 11:59 pm CST, depending on the length of the requisition.

Child Care and Community Services

APS Investigative Specialist 1*
Putnam County – 68450 (Closing Date 6/30/2025) 

DHS Program Manager (Child Care Program)
Maury County – 68689 (Closing Date 6/30/2025)

Field Supervisor 2 (Child Care Program Evaluators)
Montgomery County – 68700 (Closing Date 6/30/2025)

Rehabilitation Services

DHS Campus Life Assistant
Rutherford County – 68589 (3) (Closing Date 6/30/2025)

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor – Masters
Franklin County – 68684 (Closing Date 6/30/2025)
Rutherford County – 68682 (Closing Date 6/30/2025)

Vocational Rehabilitation Support Coordinator
Madison County – 68699 (Closing Date 6/30/2025)

The TDHS Adult Protective Services team came together with Tennessee State University, to host the annual 2025 CARES Conference. The conference provides an environment for community partners, APS team members and subject matter experts to network and discuss ways to better protect, serve, and care for vulnerable Tennesseans.

This Newsletter will be distributed on the last Wednesday of each month, and we kindly ask that all news be approved by leadership and submitted at least three weeks in advance.

Let’s coordinate, share ideas, and learn from our individual customer groups on how we can work together to better serve Tennessee’s low-income families.

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