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 2025 comes to an end, I would like to take a moment to reflect on all that the department has accomplished. This year has been both rewarding and challenging, yet TDHS staff have continually demonstrated that we are a resilient, innovative, and a forward-thinking agency. The Executive Leadership Team and all TDHS team members embraced this year’s challenges and transformed them into opportunities for growth, learning, and improved service delivery. I am extremely proud to lead this agency with such dedication, purpose, and commitment to the families we serve. Below is a brief overview of the accomplishments we have achieved together this year.

In addition to these accomplishments, I am incredibly proud of how TDHS staff navigated the unprecedented federal government shutdown that significantly impacted SNAP benefits nationwide. In response, TDHS staff implemented a dedicated webpage to provide continuous and timely updates to the public regarding the status of SNAP benefits, created a dedicated resource page to help families locate local nutrition assistance through community partners, and TDHS Executive Leadership team successfully implemented budget and program adjustments to maintain staff employment and continue essential operations during the shutdown.

As we look ahead to a new year, let us take a moment to celebrate the progress we made together. This has been a year of resilience, innovation, and unwavering service to Tennesseans. I am deeply grateful for your hard work, commitment, and compassion.

Thank you for all that you do, and happy holidays!

As 2025 draws to a close, we are proud to take a moment to look back on the meaningful progress we have made together. This year has been filled with important milestones, driven by the unwavering commitment of our TDHS team to strengthen Tennessee by strengthening Tennesseans. Each day, our department works to ensure that nearly 2 million individuals across the state have access to essential programs and services they need.

We are deeply grateful for the hard work, resilience, and collaboration that defined this year, and we are pleased to share a snapshot of these achievements with you. Please take a moment to watch the video below for an overview of the impact we made in 2025.

On December 10th, TDHS launched Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) for the One DHS Customer Portal which provides customers with the capabilities to apply and access all TDHS programs and services in one convenient location.

MFA was implemented to strengthen account security for all customers applying for benefits online. Multi-factor Authentication is a trusted security measure used across many industries to protect accounts and personal information by adding a verification step to confirm a user’s identity before logging into their account.

If a customer is in need of additional assistance on how to log into their account using MFA, please review the instructional video below. Our goal is to ensure all customer account information remains secure and personal details are protected. 

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) helps families who make less than $84,000/ year 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. Each year, VITA volunteers help thousands of individuals and families prepare their taxes.

During the 2024 tax season, United Way and the VITA free tax prep program completed 10,604 tax returns, helped taxpayers save $2.6 million in tax preparation fees and brought $10.6 million in federal refunds back to the community.

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

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, 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: January 14, 2026, 11:00am-12:00pm CT

Where: Online; Register Here

What: Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Summer Summit 2026

TDHS collaborates with community partners to provide Sun Meals to school age children through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) when school is out for summer. The annual Summer Summit hosted by TDHS brings together these community partners, potential partners, Tennessee Department of Education, United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service and nutrition assistance thought leaders to learn and plan to reduce food insecurity in Tennessee.

Organizations and individuals are welcome to register and attend this free event to advance the fight against food insecurity in Tennessee through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).

Please use the link here to register today: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2026_Summer_Summit-Reg

When: January 22, 2026, 10:00am-3:00pm CT

Where: Tennessee State Library & Archives

1001 Rep John Lewis Way N

Nashville, TN 37219

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*           

Davidson County – 73447 (Closing Date 12/29/2025)

Family Assistance and Child Support

Eligibility Counselor 1*

Hardin County – 73450 (Closing Date 12/29/2025)

Hamblen County – 73478 (Closing Date 12/29/2025)

McMinn County – 73444 (Closing Date 12/29/2025)     

Shelby County – 73479 (Closing Date 12/29/2025)       

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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