From one educator’s dream

The Tennessee Child Care Resource & Referral Network began as the dream of educator Marguerite Hullander. Hullander, a well-known and much-loved teacher in Hamilton County, realized that fellow educators taking care of young children needed resources and training to provide the best possible care for children.

So, she loaded her car with books, toys, and other resources and began providing the much-needed support to child care homes and centers in the Greater Chattanooga area.

Eventually, the Tennessee Department of Human Services would decide to take Ms. Marguerite’s dream statewide. By 2000, DHS funded 11 Child Care Resource Centers located across Tennessee.

TN CCR&R provides resources for parents, child care professionals, employers, and the community that support quality care and development of our children.

In 2003, Signal Centers Inc., located in Chattanooga, TN, received grant funding to operate as the managing hub for the TN CCR&R. Signal Centers was to provide the administration and management for what would become the TN Child Care Resource & Referral Network.

Along with continuing to provide training and resources to child care professionals, the Child Care Resource & Referral Network also began providing referral services to families looking for quality child care.

Currently, there are eight Child Care Resource & Referral sites serving all 95 counties. All Tennessee Child Care Resource & Referral Quality Coaches are highly trained and educated to provide Tennessee Department of Human Services licensed child care professionals with the training and technical assistance they need to provide the best care possible for Tennessee’s children.

Today the Tennessee Child Care Resource & Referral Network is praised by regional agencies as a priceless source of information, support, technical advice, and advocacy that enables the entire network to make progress toward the day when Tennessee communities support the development and learning of all children.