Early Education Task Force Resources
The task force is part of the Blount Partnership’s Workforce Advisory Collaborative
Early Education
Facts About Early Literacy and Pre-K
1.8M
Words per year a child is exposed to with just 20 min of reading daily
121 Hrs
Family bonding time per year with just 20 min of reading daily
$50K
Avg lifetime earnings increase per year reading daily with child
6 Pts
Amount you can raise your child’s IQ by reading to them
Early Education Task Force Mission
To promote economic growth and stability in Blount County by increasing workforce participation and work readiness with affordable, quality early education and childcare services.
Interested in joining the Early Education Task Force? Reach out to Director of Workforce Development Jessica Belitz at [email protected].
Find a Childcare or Pre-K Facility in Blount County
Interested in starting a childcare facility? Reach out to [email protected] for help and resources.
Do you need to update your facility’s information in the PDF list below? Email [email protected] with your business name, business address, website, contact name, phone, email, and facility capacity.
All listed childcare facilities are licensed by the Tennessee Department of Human Services or the Tennessee Department of Education.
Early Education Task Force Report
Blount Partnership formed the Early Education Task Force to assess childcare and early education needs in Blount County. They discovered a high demand to increase childcare capacity, offer more quality early education opportunities, and promote the need for state and national level changes to assist in improving both of these pieces.
The Facts About Early Literacy and Pre-K Skills
- READ with your child every day!
- Read about why early childhood education is important.
- TN Data Dashboard
- TQEE Loud Voices for Little Kids – the Blount Partnership is a proud member of this important advocacy group.
Kindergarten Readiness
According to KidCentralTN:
- Reading 20 minutes daily exposes children to 1.8 million words per year.
- Families reading together for 20 minutes every day equals more than 121 hours of bonding time every year!
- For every year you read daily with your child, average lifetime earnings increase by $50,000.
- Children ready for kindergarten are more likely to graduate.
- Reading to your child can raise their IQ by 6 points.
Learn more about kindergarten readiness in our local school systems:
Blount County Needs More Childcare
- Tennesseeans for Quality Early Education report on childcare crisis
- Tennessee Department of Human Services Support
Interested in starting a childcare facility? Reach out to [email protected] for more information.
Read to your child now!
- Tennessee Regional eBook & Audiobook Download System (R.E.A.D.S.): Audiobooks & eBooks for kids on TN READS (including picture books)
- TN Department of Education, Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation – Order a free at-home reading kit for children in grades K-2
- This Reading Mama – A free Pre-K Reading Curriculum
- Reach Out & Read
- Save the Children – Free educational resources and apps for kids to read at home
- Kid Central TN – how to read to young children
- Track Your Child’s Milestone Progress
Early Literacy and Learning Programs
- Blount County Schools Preschool Learning & Resource Page
- Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
- Blount County Library Programs & Resources – Birth to 3 and 3 – 5 year old storytimes at the library
- Online Library Card Application (kids of all ages can get their own cards through a parent’s account)
- Careers in Motion Bus. We partner with our school systems to offer reading opportunities for our students
- East Tennessee Freedom Schools
- Tennessee Early Intervention System
- Kid Konnections
- Child Developmental Needs Resources
Childcare & Early Education Licensing and Degree Opportunities
Looking for a career in early education or childcare? Find more information at: