State expands child-care staffing and training requirements; DHS says changes reflect public comment

The Tennessee Department of Human Services told lawmakers it has revised licensure rules for child-care agencies to tighten staffing and training requirements and to align with federal expectations.

Callan Baggett, assistant commissioner for DHS, said the rules add a requirement that child-care directors be on-site for 50% of an agency's monthly operating hours, with exceptions for reasonable leave, professional development and community engagement; the requirement does not apply to licensed drop-in child-care centers. The department said the exception language was added in response to public comment.

The rule package also replaces a prior standard that new employees not have "unsupervised" contact with children to a clearer requirement that certain orientation topics must be completed "before such employees have any contact with children." DHS added the term "child maltreatment" in training references to reflect updated terminology and added documentation obligations for substitute staff hours. Provisional-license first‑aid training must be completed within 90 days to align with federal rules; substitutes must complete at least 4 hours of health and safety training in their first year.

Why it matters: The amendments aim to standardize how centers staff and train workers and to reduce the risk of insufficiently prepared staff having contact with children. Committee members asked whether the rules apply to home‑based care and how the agency defined coverage; DHS said the rules apply unless the rule text specifies otherwise and that they cover licensed child‑care providers broadly.

What the committee did: No members of the public offered comment during the hearing. The committee moved the rules and recorded a positive recommendation in both chambers.

What to watch next: Implementation details such as agency monitoring of substitute hours and department guidance for operators on the director on‑site calculation will affect how centers comply. DHS said it will supply clarifying materials following rule adoption.