Tennessee families see financial strain with childcare costs now outpacing college tuition

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Child care now costs more than college for many Tennessee families.

That’s according to new state data, which shows infant care alone averages nearly $14,000 a year.

Costs have gone up more than twenty percent in five years.

For some families, child care is now their single largest expense.

The 2025 state of the child report in Tennessee says childcare is no longer a monthly bill, but a financial breaking point.

In fact, they say it can cost families $400 a month to send their child to a classroom similar to this.

“I was missing a lot of work, like I was only coming to work for like, two days, because I either couldn’t find nobody to keep them or I just couldn’t afford daycare.”

Emma Bentley says without the help of the Chambliss Center, childcare would drain her bank account.

“That would be my whole paycheck if they went to a regular daycare here, I can still afford for them all three to go here every day and still have a full paycheck.”

According to that new report, the average cost for infant care in Hamilton County is over $11,000 a year.

Making it even more expensive than in state tuition for public colleges in the state.

The average tuition & fees of Tennessee Public Colleges is $10,806 for in-state.

Katie Harbison with the Chambliss Center for Children says it’s a price tag most parents just can’t afford.

“It’s so important not just for parents to be able to go to work, but also for kids, and their brain development and their educational success. It really depends on the quality of environments and the quality of learning they’re getting at early ages.”

Teacher helps child. Shih Wei via Getty Images.

Despite the rising costs, Jennifer Andrews with Chattanooga 2.0 says the biggest issue is the lack of available workers.

“Many people have heard childcare called the workforce, behind the workforce, and we need to support our childcare teachers so that we can then make sure parents can’t go back to work.”