What does it cost to run a child care program in Hamilton County, TN? Child care providers are invited to take Chattanooga 2.0’s cost model survey. Insight into your operating expenses will support our advocacy efforts to source additional funding, identify a targeted livable wage for early childhood staff, and increase the number of early childhood center seats.

What is a cost model? 

A cost model is an approach to measuring the true cost of implementing and maintaining a service or program. It aims to understand how changes in wages or quality impact overall costs, as well as how geography or program size impact overall costs. 

Cost models are useful for determining the true cost of care against the market cost (what is currently charged). The market cost is how much people can afford to pay.  

How will my data be used? 

Information will be collected on your operational budget and employment data. This data will remain confidential and not be shared with anyone outside of the Chattanooga 2.0 and Children’s Funding Project team. Individual responses will not be disclosed or shared, and all findings will be reported only in aggregate form, ensuring that no specific business or individual can be identified.

What type of information will we ask for?

We’re going to ask you about things like program enrollment, personnel, non-personnel expenses, employee benefits, and sources of your revenue. 

Before you start, we recommend downloading a PDF of the survey (HERE) to review all questions. (Note, you can ignore questions after #104, because they have been removed from the survey).

Please have the following documents on hand and easily referenceable when taking the survey:

• Annual operating expenses (salaries and wages) for your most recent complete fiscal year (2023 or 2024)
• Documents relating to child enrollment numbers and tuition
• Salary schedules and payroll/timesheet information
• Staffing information – including pay and educational background

Next steps, once you take the survey:

The survey will remain open until Friday, August 22. After that, Chattanooga 2.0 staff will review responses, compile, and aggregate the data. If we have questions, Ashley Williams, our Children’s Funding Coordinator, will reach out to those who have completed the survey for clarification. Then, Ashley will meet with the Children’s Funding Project team to create the cost model. Once complete, we’ll invite everyone to a presentation where we will share the findings.