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 enter into this season of Thanksgiving, I would like to take this time to express my sincere gratitude to the TDHS staff and partners for their selfless work and unwavering dedication to our shared mission to strengthen Tennessee by strengthening Tennesseans. Serving nearly two million Tennesseans statewide is no small task, and your tireless efforts in delivering a diverse range of programs and services have had a significant impact on countless lives.

I am deeply thankful for your compassion, resilience, and the relentless drive you bring to our mission each day. Your work empowers families, uplifts communities, and creates a brighter future for those in need. Today, I honor your commitment and simply say thank you.

As we continue working together toward our mission, let us reflect on the incredible progress we have made and the lives we have touched. Thank you once again for all you do to make Tennessee a place of opportunity and hope where all people can thrive.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with joy, laughter, and plenty of turkey shared with your loved ones.

TDHS has partnered with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to expand affordable, quality child care options for active-duty military members in Tennessee. Through this initiative, eligible child care providers in Tennessee will have the opportunity to participate in DoD'S Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood-PLUS (MCCYN-PLUS) program, offering child care payment assistance for military families. Child care providers with a quality score of 80 to 100 under TDHS’s new Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) are eligible to participate, ensuring they meet the state’s regulations for health, safety, and licensure requirements.

The MCCYN-PLUS program provides military families greater access to high quality, early education experiences for their children while reducing their out-of-pocket expenses for child care. The initiative also offers opportunities for eligible child care providers in Tennessee to grow their businesses, while supporting military families in their neighborhoods.

As a part of the initiative, to offset the cost of child care not covered by the parent fee as calculated by their total family income, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) increased the child care provider rate cap up to a maximum of $1800 per month per child. For more information on how military families can qualify, please visit: militarychildcare.com.

For information on child care provider eligibility and participation, please visit: https://www.childcareaware.org/becoming-an-approved-mccyn-plus-provider-in-tennessee/.

Tennessee has converted to a new EBT vendor, and customers now have access to new online and mobile features. With the new EBT vendor, cardholders will now have access to enhanced tools through EBT EDGE , including balance alerts, transaction history, and the ability to freeze their card if needed. We encourage customers to utilize this updated feature in order to protect their benefits and monitor their accounts for any suspicious activity.

With the EBT EDGE app, cardholders can also securely check when deposits are available without waiting on the phone, providing a convenient, on-the-go solution to remain updated. For more information, please visit: https://www.fisglobal.com/ebtedgemobile.

TDHS has partnered with an organization called FedCap to provide one-on-one assistance to help Tennesseans between the ages of 16-65 that are not currently employed to help them overcome any barriers and re-enter the workforce. The initiative is currently available to residents of Chester, Crockett, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardeman, Haywood, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, Shelby, and Tipton counties.

The FedCap Team can help jobseekers overcome employment challenges such as: 

FedCap will work alongside individuals who want to work, but face challenges in doing so. Care Coordinators will help create a plan and connect individuals with the supports they need to find and keep a job. For customers interested in participating in the program, please complete the prescreening here: https://app.singlestop.org/eaei/main.

Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) is a year-round SNAP-doubling program offered at farmers markets and grocers across the country. Nourish Knoxville offers DUFB at all of its markets, as well as at partner locations across East Tennessee. Double Up is provided in partnership with the Fair Food Network.

Customers who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can swipe their EBT card at the market to match up to $20 per day in Double Up tokens to be spent on fresh produce: fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs, and food-producing plants. For instance, a family that spends $10 in their SNAP benefits receives an additional $10 in Double Up tokens to spend at the market on fresh produce.

Double Up is a triple win: low-income families eat more healthy food, area farmers gain new customers and increase revenue, and more food dollars stay in the local economy. For more information about the program and participating partners, please visit: https://doubleuptn.org/.

Diapers Available for TennCare and CoverKids Members

If your child is covered by TennCare or CoverKids and is under the age of two, you can receive up to 100 diapers each month at no cost. These diapers are available at participating pharmacies across Tennessee.

Here's how you can get the diapers:

For more information, visit TN.gov/TennCare/diapers

What: Parents and Partners Connect

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. This month’s topic is Tax Season Awareness.

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: December 4, 2024 11am -12pm CT

Where: Online; Register Here

What: Gibson County Speed Networking Event

The Rehabilitation Services Division at TDHS and its Vocational Rehabilitation Program are hosting Quick Connections: A Speed Networking Event to unite workers with disabilities, employers, and community services organizations/resource providers. The event is free and open to residents in Gibson County.

What to Bring to the Event:

- Job Seekers Should Bring: 50 Copies of your resume

- Employers Should Bring: At least 50 business cards and handouts on any open positions with your company

- Community Organizations/Resource Providers Should Bring: At least 50 business cards and informational handouts about your services

When: December 9, 2024 11am-12pm CT

Where: Gibson County Extension Office

1252 Manufacturers Row, Trenton, TN 38382

What: Computer Literacy Workshop Series

The Division of Rehabilitation Services is partnering with the American Job Center to help Hamilton County residents learn basic computer skills. Community members are invited to attend one-hour workshops held on the third Wednesday of the month.

When: December 18, 2024 from 10am-11am ET

Where: American Job Center

5600 Brainerd Road, Chattanooga, TN 37411

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.

Rehabilitation Services

Medical Consultant
Statewide – (5) (Closing Date: Until Filled)

Administrative Services Assistant 2*
Putnam County – 63476 (Closing Date 12/2/2024)

Psychological Examiner 1
Rutherford County – 63489 (Closing Date 12/2/2024)

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor – Masters
Henry County – 63341 (Closing Date 12/2/2024)

Vocational Rehabilitation Support Coordinator
Maury County – 63508 (Closing Date 12/2/2024)

Child Care and Community Services

APS Investigative Specialist 1*
Madison County – 63200 (Closing Date 12/2/2024)

Family Assistance

DHS TANF Case Manager
Davidson County – 63486 (Closing Date 12/2/2024)

Eligibility Assistant
Hardeman County – 63347 (Closing Date 12/2/2024)
Sumner County – 63502 (Closing Date 12/2/2024)

Eligibility Counselor 1*
Knox County – 63342 (Closing Date 12/2/2024)
Shelby County – 63345 (3) (Closing Date 12/2/2024)

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.

TDHS hosted a Resource Ability fair to connect educators, employers, practitioners, and individuals with disabilities to assistive technology. Tim Shaw (pictured in the center), an ALS warrior and former NFL veteran for the Tennessee Titans, served as the keynote speaker for this event.

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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