PROBLEM STATEMENTS:

Early childhood brain science shows that crucial intellectual, health, and social-emotional development is happening long before age 5 the year we begin formal education in the United States. Numerous studies show that young children, from infancy onward, are learning all the time, whatever setting they are in whether it’s in an early care and education program or at home with a parent or other caregiver. Children who experience early care and education programs that provide consistent, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate opportunities for cognitive and social development benefit significantly in both the short and long-term, and children from low-income families benefit the most. These benefits have positive impacts not only on children and families, but also on our broader communities as we educate the next generation.

Family Economics. Early care and education has become either an unmanageable expense or practically unavailable for many Tennessee families who need or want it. This lack of high-quality offerings can keep parents from pursuing the additional education or job training that could build their incomes, and it often means one parent opts out of the workforce entirely to provide care, even when both parents need or want to work. Widely available early care and education can be a strong economic foundation for families and communities. Widely accessible high-quality pre-k can also help reduce racial inequity. The disparity in access to high-quality early education exacerbates racial inequities in children’s development. Not only does this limit the child’s ability to achieve, but it also limits parents’ ability to maximize their incomes by working, which further impacts a child’s opportunity.

As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, I will implement a statewide "Pre-K for All" agenda. "Pre-K for All" in Memphis and Shelby County is an initiative (effective Fall 2025) providing free, high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten to all three and four-year-olds regardless of family income, administered by First 8 Memphis. This expansion aims to prepare children for kindergarten by partnering with local centers, removing income barriers, and offering comprehensive, voluntary early education.

Tennessee does not currently have a fully implemented state-wide universal pre-K program. Instead, it offers a Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) program focused primarily on at-risk and low-income 4-year-olds. While the 2025 proposal to create a free, universal pre-K program for all 4-year-olds failed in the Senate Education Committee, a Voluntary Pre-K initiative serves nearly 20,000 students.

Key Aspects of Tennessee's Pre-K Landscape

• Voluntary Pre-K (VPK): This state-funded, free program targets 4-year-olds, prioritizing those with at-risk factors, such as being economically disadvantaged.

• Eligibility & Enrollment: Children must be 4 years old on or before the state cutoff date, and priority is given to those who qualify as economically disadvantaged, have special needs, or are in foster care.

• Failed Legislation: A 2025 bill seeking to expand to universal, free pre-K for all 4-year-olds was rejected.

• Local Options: Some districts, such as Memphis and Shelby County Schools, offer expanded pre-K options, including fee-based or other local initiatives.

• Program Focus: Authorized programs focus on early literacy, math, social-emotional skills, and physical development.

Atwater's Goal and Strategies:

• Funds from the TANF ($35 Million) will be allocated to address this universal p-k program with wrap-around to secure stabilized housing, hence assisting families from living in cars and hotels.

• To eliminate income requirements previously associated with public pre-k, allowing all parents access.

• Enrolling your child in Pre-K gives your family access to special support, wraparound services, and other impactful resources.

• Target Population: All 3 and 4-year-old children in the State of Tennessee. Special initiatives for rural communities and farm families will be implemented due to the years of governmental neglect of these counties regarding community outreach, economic development, broadband connection, and the lack of medical facilities. Early childcare must be coupled with basic family needs to pull the family out of gross poverty, especially in Hancock, Grundy, and Lake counties.

• I will be intentional about addressing the needs of these children in the poorest counties in Tennessee, often classified as "distressed" by the Appalachian Regional Commission and state officials, which are generally identified by low median household incomes, high poverty rates, and low employment, with Hancock, Grundy, and Lake counties consistently ranking among the lowest.

• Cost: Free of charge to families.

• Academic Readiness: Better preparation for kindergarten, particularly in pre-reading, pre-math, and social skills.

• Long-term Success: Studies indicate participants are 40% less likely to need special education or be held back a grade.

• Social Development: Improved social skills and fewer behavioral problems.

• As the next Governor, I will strive to implement a universal pre-K program known as Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK). It will be free for all 4-year-olds in Tennessee, regardless of family income, provided they turn 4 by September 1 of the school year and live in Tennessee.