Tennessee Child Care Resource and Referral Network

❤️ Every second counts in an emergency.

This CPR Week, we’re sharing important reminders about how CPR can help save lives and why staying prepared matters in child care settings.

Want to build your emergency preparedness skills even further? Join our upcoming online training, Learning the Difference Between Shelter in Place and Lockdown Procedures, on June 16.

The training meets DHS Emergency Health and Safety requirements and is open to child care professionals across Tennessee.

Register by signing up here! https://reg.learningstream.com/reg/event_page.aspx?ek=0042-0021-66d280b7841f4071b969c7f4d0143eef

💚 Meet the Tennessee CCR&R CDA & Accreditation (CDAA) Team!

The CDAA Team provides guidance, coaching, and support to child care professionals pursuing CDA credentials or exploring accreditation opportunities. Through individualized assistance and professional development support, CDAA coaches help child care professionals navigate the process and connect with available resources.

Visit our website to learn more about the team and connect with a coach serving your region!

☀️ The June 2026 issue of The CCR&R Connection is here!🎉

This month’s statewide newsletter is packed with seasonal resources and practical strategies to support child care professionals throughout the summer. Explore creative ways to encourage learning through mud kitchens, discover how to weave literacy into everyday routines, and even more tools and resources you can put into action right away!

➡️ Read this month's issue or sign up here: https://simplebooklet.com/junenewslettereblast =1

Every day, early child care professionals help shape confident learners, caring communities, and brighter futures. Your impact reaches far beyond the classroom walls. Thank you for the encouragement, patience, and dedication you bring to children and families each day. 💙

Child abuse and neglect prevention doesn’t begin and end in April. 💙

Prevention happens every day through safe relationships, supportive communities, and showing up for children and families in big and small ways.

We asked TN CCR&R staff to finish this sentence:
“Child abuse and neglect prevention starts with ______.”

Their answers are a reminder that prevention can start with listening, supporting, educating, advocating, and caring for one another.

Together, we all play a role in helping children and families thrive.

StrongerTogether

Take a storybook adventure across Tennessee 📚🌿

Storybook Trails are interactive outdoor reading experiences designed to help families walk, read, and explore together. As you move along the trail, each page of the story encourages conversation, movement, imagination, and a love for literacy in the great outdoors.

From East Tennessee to West Tennessee, there are Storybook Trails waiting to be discovered near you!

Interested in bringing more language-rich interactions into your classroom or community? Connect with your local TN CCR&R Early Language & Literacy Coach to learn more about Storybook Trails and other resources designed to support young children and families across Tennessee. 💙📚

To explore Storybook Trails across Tennessee visit: https://governorsfoundation.org/community/storybook-trails

Which trail are you exploring first? 👣✨

We love seeing the strong relationships built between child care programs and the coaches who support them every day. 💙

Congratulations to Jenni Hensley Bates, and thank you to Champion Christian Learning Academy for sharing this recognition and highlighting the impact of collaboration and support in early childhood education.🌱

For the month of May, CCLA proudly spotlights Jennifer Edge-Bates, our incredible Developmental Support Coach at both the Brainerd and South Terrace locations Jennifer has been such a valuable resource to our school community, helping assess students when parents or educators have concerns related to speech, developmental delays, behavioral challenges, or possible diagnoses.

She has graciously come to our school several times, offering guidance, support, and practical resources to both teachers and families. Her compassion, knowledge, and willingness to help ensure that our students receive the support they need to thrive.

Thank you, Jennifer, for partnering with us, advocating for children, and helping us create a stronger support system for every child at CCLA. We appreciate you more than words can express! 💙

Back in April, TN CCR&R staff came together for the Building Strong Foundations training — strengthening knowledge, building skills, and continuing to grow together in support of Tennessee children and families. 💙

All aboard the Connection Cruise! 🚢

Our CCR&R team set sail together in April for our All Staff Meeting in Franklin—a dedicated time to step away from our day-to-day work spread across the state and come together for connection, collaboration, and shared learning.

This year’s theme brought a fun “cruise” energy to our time together, but at the heart of it all were meaningful updates, engaging presentations, and the kind of in-person connection that strengthens our mission to support Tennessee’s child care professionals and families.

A special highlight was coming together in blue to form a human ribbon in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month—a powerful reminder of why we do this work and who we do it for. 💙

Grateful for a team that shows up, leans in, and keeps Tennessee’s children and families at the center of everything we do.

Severe weather can happen quickly, but preparation can make all the difference. 🌦️

Taking time now to refresh emergency plans, update supplies, and review safety procedures can help keep your program, staff, and children safer throughout the spring and summer months.

Need additional support? Your CCR&R Emergency Preparedness Specialist is here to help with resources, guidance, and planning assistance. 🤝

📚 Read more helpful tips and articles in the latest CCR&R Connection newsletter through the link here: https://simplebooklet.com/maynewslettersimplebooklet2