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.

This month, we launched our NEW Care Partnership Grants program as a significant investment to expand employer partnerships for child care in Tennessee. By engaging employers and nonprofit partnerships, we believe that we can significantly move the needle to ensure that families have long-term access to affordable child care options statewide.

At TDHS, we recognize the critical role that access to affordable child care plays in promoting family stability, fostering community well-being, and enhancing economic opportunities. With a wealth of resources at our disposal, we are dedicated to supporting employers in their efforts to expand access to tailored child care solutions that meet the needs of working families.

The NEW Care Partnership Grants program represents a significant milestone in our efforts to expand access to quality childcare and strengthen the foundation for a brighter future for Tennessee children and families across the state.

To learn more about this grant opportunity, click here to visit our website.

Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) recently announced the opening of applications for the Non-Profit and Employer Workforce Care Partnership Grants, (also known as NEW Care Partnership Grants).  This opportunity is made available through the Child Care Improvement Fund, a 3-year pilot, which allocates $15 million a year in state dollars to support child care provided through non-profit organizations. Following the success of the department’s collaboration with Tennessee businesses such as Tyson Foods to enhance employer-sponsored child care, this new initiative will use some of the Child Care Improvement Fund to aid in the creation of child care access for employers and their workforce.

The grant program invites non-profit organizations in Tennessee to propose strategies and innovative models of partnership with private employers, aiming to expand child care availability for the employer’s workforce. With a rolling deadline, all qualifying non-profit organizations are encouraged to learn more and apply based on information in the grant application guide, found here.

The initiative requires partnership models to address the specific needs of employee families and enhance the financial sustainability of child care providers. Potential strategies could include new construction/renovation for onsite employer child care, access to existing employer facilities to create new licensed child care capacity, employer support for operating expenses, or the employer agrees to pay for an allotted number of new child care slots. Non-profits are encouraged to submit other innovative partnership strategies that are appropriate to their community and situation.

For all awarded grants, state funds will match the level of monetary support invested by the employer throughout the grant term. The NEW Care Partnership Grants reflect TDHS's commitment to fostering collaborative efforts that contribute to the well-being of families and communities across Tennessee.

For more information on this new grant opportunity, please visit the TDHS website

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.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) is announcing its participation in the 2024 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the opening of this year’s application period. The goal of the Summer Food Service Program is to ensure children 18 and younger, who benefit from meal programs at school, continue to have that same access to nutritious meals outside of school.

Each year TDHS partners with sponsors across the state to provide summer meals. The program traditionally runs from the end of May to August when the next school semester begins.

Historically, the SFSP has operated in most areas of the state, however the need is especially important in rural counties and those designated as distressed. TDHS is hoping to recruit sponsors willing to serve those counties and additional sponsors for every county in the state to help their communities.

Applications for organizations to participate in SFSP will be accepted until May 1, 2024. If your organization is interested in becoming a SFSP sponsor or becoming a feeding site under an existing sponsor, please contact the Tennessee Department of Human Services by e-mail at TNSFSP.DHS@tn.gov. For more information on the Summer Food Service Program, please visit the TDHS website.

In addition to children of school age, adults 19 and older with a mental or physical disability are eligible to receive free meals if they participate in a school program established for individuals with disabilities during the prior school year.

In Tennessee, the struggle to access affordable and safe childcare has become increasingly evident to many parents. The recent tragedy at an unlicensed at-home daycare in Nashville has underscored the critical importance of safety in child care facilities. However, amidst these challenges, there is a glimmer of hope emerging in the form of at-home daycare facilities.

A recent interview with WKRN shed light on this issue, highlighting the potential of at-home daycare to alleviate the child care crisis in the state. Dana Glenn, Director of Child and Adult Care Licensing at TDHS, expressed support for expanding at-home daycare options, citing efforts to streamline licensing processes and provide resources to prospective daycare owners. By fostering collaboration between caregivers, communities, and regulatory agencies, we can strive towards a future where every child has access to safe, affordable, and high-quality childcare. Please review the full interview below to learn more.

https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/nashville/tn-pushes-to-create-safe-home-based-daycares/

Click here for more information on how to become a licensed child care provider.

TDHS has extended deadlines to accept requests for replacement of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) benefits stolen from households impacted by EBT card skimming, cloning, and similar fraud between October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2024. The review period opened on November 6, 2023 and will close on September 30, 2024.

TDHS will accept and process households’ replacement requests within the One DHS Customer Portal at OneDHS.tn.gov. Customers that cannot access the online portal to submit a request can retrieve a paper form at their local TDHS office.

Only the following types of fraud are eligible for replacement:

All reports of skimming, cloning, or similar fraud will require confirmation from the customer verifying that all information reported in the request is true and correct. Customers who purposefully give false information may be prosecuted under applicable state and federal criminal laws. Customers may be contacted to provide further validation of their request.

Only fraudulent transactions related to skimming, cloning or similar fraud (text and phone schemes) can be submitted through this process.

Customers can track their fraud replacement request status through their One DHS Customer Portal account, where they will also receive notification of the request outcome.

For more information on replacement benefits related to fraud, please visit https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/need-help-/tdhs-fraud.html. To report fraud, call the Office of Inspector General fraud hotline at 800-241-2629.

This season, Don’t Pay to File your Taxes – VITA can do it for FREE

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) helps families who make less than $70,000 get the tax credits they deserve without the fees. You can file in-person, virtually, or do-it-yourself all for free. VITA is a program of United Way of Greater Nashville in partnership with the IRS.

What customers should know about their taxes:

For more information, visit VITA Free Tax Prep to learn more.

What: Resource/Job Fair for Justice Impacted Re-Entry Community

The purpose of the Resource/Job Fair is to allow the justice-impacted community an opportunity to connect with prospective employers, various resource providers, career development/planning, and additional Vocational Rehabilitation services aimed to support successful re-entry efforts.

When: March 12, 2024 10am-2pm CST

Where: Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
3421 Belmont Blvd. Nashville, TN 37215

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: March 21,2024 4:30pm-5:30pm CST

Where: Online; Register Here

What: Dyer County Resource Ability Fair

Hosted by the TDHS Division of Rehabilitation Services and the Raising Kellan Podcast, the Resource Ability Fair is a free event for students with disabilities and their advocates to connect with employment resources and needed services.

When: March 28, 2024 5pm-7pm CST 

Where: Community Tennessee Rehabilitation Center
1365 Morgan Rd. Dyersburg, TN 38024

What: Employment Extravaganza 

The TDHS Division of Rehabilitation Services Business Unit is hosting a job fair to connect job seekers with disabilities to great resources, training and employers in Putnam County.  The event is free and open to the public.

When: April 2, 2024 10am-2pm CST

Where: Tennessee Rehabilitation Center
955 E. 20th Street Cookeville, TN 38501

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 Intake Counselor 2*
Montgomery County - 54811 (Closing Date 3/4/2024)

APS Investigative Specialist 1*
Knox County – 54823 (Closing Date 3/4/2024)

 

Child Support

DHS Child Support Case Manager*
Jefferson County – 55228 (2) (Closing Date 3/4/2024)

DHS Child Support Field Operations Manager
Knox County – 55239 (Closing Date 3/4/2024)

 

Family Assistance 

DHS Field Supervisor 1
Montgomery County – 55233 (Department Promotional) (Closing Date 3/4/2024)

Eligibility Assistant
Hardeman County – 55240 (Closing Date 3/4/2024)
Monroe County - 55241(Closing Date 3/4/2024)

Eligibility Counselor 1*
Blount County – 55244 (Closing Date 3/4/2024)
Carroll County – 55206 (Closing Date 3/4/2024)
Fayette County – 55231 (Closing Date 3/4/2024)
Hardeman County – 55232  (Closing Date 3/4/2024)
Shelby County – 55215 (Closing Date 3/11/2024)

 

People Operations

Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist
Davidson County – 55328 (Closing Date 3/4/2024)

Training Officer 1 – Family Assistance Learning Team
Davidson County – 55008 (Closing Date 3/11/2024)

 

Rehabilitation Services

DHS Campus Life Assistant
Rutherford County – 55243 (Closing Date 3/4/2024)

DHS Program Director 2
Davidson County – 55261 (Closing Date 3/4/2024)

DHS Vocational Trainer/Area of Study
Rutherford County – 54958 (Closing Date 3/4/2024)

DHS Vocational Trainer/ Veterinarian Technician Assistant
Rutherford County – 54959 (Closing Date 3/4/2024)

DHS Vocational Training Assistant
Rutherford County – 55230 (Closing Date 3/4/2024)

Vocational Rehabilitation Field Supervisor
Obion County – 55229 (Closing Date 3/4/2024)

 

Everyone can be a recruiter! Please help us by tapping into your network of talented friends, family and associates.

NOTE: You may now find TDHS jobs also posted on the TDHS LinkedIn page

Tennessee Department of Human Services: Overview | LinkedIn

Please encourage your friends and colleagues to visit our site for opportunities at TDHS.

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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