START EARLY

The Tennessee Infant & Toddler Quality team consists of 15 Infant & Toddler Quality Coaches.  Each Infant and Toddler Quality Coach is extensively trained in caring for infants and toddlers in a group setting through the WestEd Program for Infant and Toddler Care (PITC).

Our mission is to provide high-quality training and technical assistance to child care educators caring for children birth – 3 years and to provide families with information and resources about finding quality child care services.

Infant Toddler Specialization

The TN CCR&R Infant Toddler Specialization is designed to provide a training and coaching experience that will enhance and improve the quality of infant-toddler child care in the state of Tennessee. This exciting new opportunity will improve the practices of early child care educators in the infant and/or toddler classroom. Those who complete the training may be eligible for incentives, both for themselves and the agency they work for. 

The specialization will have monthly trainings followed by one-on-one or group coaching opportunities, as well as certificates from 7 different trainings as well as a graduation certificate. 

Infant-Toddler Needs Assessment

The TN CCR&R Infant Toddler Needs Assessment linked below is an independent qualitative study, performed by the Ochs Center, whose findings outline the needs of Infant and Toddler educators across TN. This study was contracted by the Tennessee Child Care Resource & Referral and Signal Centers.

OUR TEAM

Emily Watts
Infant & Toddler Quality Coach

Emily Watts

Serves Upper Cumberland Counties: Cannon, Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, White, & Wilson Counties.

Emily Malec
Infant & Toddler Quality Coach

Emily Malec

Serves West Counties: Chester, Decatur, Fayette, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywoood, Henderson, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, & Tipton Counties.

Erin Cox
Infant & Toddler Quality Coach

Erin Cox

Serves Sumner County and Central Counties.

Melissa Hobbs
Infant & Toddler Quality Coach

Melissa Hobbs

Serves East Counties: Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Sevier, & Union Counties.

Melody Chambers
Infant & Toddler Quality Coach

Melody Chambers

Serves Southeast Counties: Bledsoe, Grundy, Hamilton, Marion, & Sequatchie Counties.

Nadia Harris
Infant & Toddler Quality Coach

Nadia Harris

Serves Mid Cumberland Counties: Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford, Stewart, Sumner, & Williamson Counties.

Nikki Owens
Infant & Toddler Quality Coach

Nikki Owens

Serves Southeast Counties: Hamilton, Bradley, Meigs, McMinn, & Polk counties.

Rabeka Monaghan–Forrest
Infant & Toddler Quality Coach

Rabeka Monaghan–Forrest

Serves Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford, Stewart, Sumner, and Williamson Counties.

Summer Freeman
Infant & Toddler Quality Coach

Summer Freeman

Serves South Central Counties: Bedford, Coffee, Franklin, Giles, Hickman, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Marshall, Maury, Moore, Perry, & Wayne Counties.

Tamara Oliver
Infant & Toddler Quality Coach

Tamara Oliver

Serves Shelby County.

Tiara Conway
Infant & Toddler Quality Coach

Tiara Conway

Serves Upper East counties.

Tonya Ray
Infant & Toddler Quality Coach

Tonya Ray

Serves East Counties: Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Sevier, & Union Counties.

Zoe Matthews
Infant &Toddler Quality Coach

Zoe Matthews

Serves Mid Cumberland Counties: Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford, Stewart, Sumner, & Williamson Counties.