What we do
Early Matters Chattanooga is a coalition made up of over 30 diverse organizations invested in early childhood, positively impacting the systems that ensure happy and healthy childhoods in Chattanooga-Hamilton County, TN.
Working together, these organizations promote equitable access to early childhood programs and services through systems building and advocacy efforts.
We know that equitable access to early childhood programs and services is a key factor that leads to thriving families, thriving programs and a thriving community — making Chattanooga-Hamilton County the best place in the nation for a child to be born and raised. Advancing equity in early learning means improving the conditions that have historically prevented many children from reaching their full potential based on race, income, and other social factors.
Work is driven within three working groups:
- Early Childhood Educator Workforce (recruitment and retention)
- Policy and Advocacy Committee
- Early Childhood Health Equity
For more information, email earlymatterschatt@gmail.com.
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initiatives
The Quality Matters Fund (QMF)
The Quality Matters Fund (QMF) was developed on January 21, 2020 to provide capital support for early learning programs to expand their capacity or increase quality to serve vulnerable families. The 2023 Quality Matters Fund (QMF) will benefit both child care providers and early childhood educators. The focus of this QMF round is on the recruitment and retention of child care teachers in Hamilton County.
This year, funds will be distributed in three categories: dedicated substitutes for child care providers, higher education, and a workforce training pilot.
KINDERGARTEN READINESS
Chattanooga 2.0, Hamilton County Schools, and community partners are aligned around a common understanding of what it means for rising Kindergarten students (four and five-year-olds) to be equipped with the right set of skills to set them up for success in school and life. Kindergarten is a year of big changes and children entering kindergarten have different skill levels. Your child’s teacher is prepared to work with children with a wide variety of skills and learning styles.
Access to Quality Child Care
Read our recent landscape analysis of the child care system at THIS LINK. In it, we highlight the barriers that families face to accessing quality child care and what we can do about it.
Advocacy
The Policy and Advocacy Committee for Early Matters is a group of cross sector leaders elevating local data and connecting elected officials to the lived experience of providers and families of young children.
PROVIDER APPRECIATION DAY 2022
Learn more about the day and how you can show support for your local child care provider on the blog.
Post a thank-you graphic to social media.
Early Childhood Health Equity
Working group members are in the process of conducting a needs assessment to determine the nutritional needs of children from birth to age 8. If you’re interested in participating, please email earlymatterschatt@gmail.com.