1. (1) Bonus Payment. An amount paid through the Child Care Certificate Program that is above and beyond the basic subsidy rate and is based upon the score achieved by a child care agency.
2. (2) Certificate Payment. Payments made through Child Care Certificate Program to a participating agency, either at the basic subsidy rate or at the higher rate paid to an eligible child care agency based upon the agency's quality rating improvement system score.
3. (3) Child Care Agency. A place or facility, regardless of whether it is currently licensed, that is operated as a “family child care home”, a “group child care home”, a “child care center”, or a “drop-in child care center”, that provides child care for three (3) or more hours per day to five
4. (5) or more children who are not related to the primary educator.
5. (4) Child Care Certificate Program. A Tennessee Department of Human Services program that provides financial assistance to eligible families to help cover the cost of child care.
6. (5) Child Care Environment. The organization of space, interactions of children with each other and with staff, the variety and type of activities offered by the child care agency, the schedule of activities for children, and opportunities provided for staff and parents relating to the areas of professional growth, parental involvement, intentional teaching, and social-emotional development.
7. (6) Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R). A statewide network of regionally located agencies that assist parents, child care professionals, and the community by offering CHILD CARE AGENCIES information on child care and by providing technical assistance, consultation, resource materials, and training to child care agencies.
8. (7) Civil Penalty. A financial sanction imposed by the Tennessee Department of Human Services against a child care agency that has violated a licensing regulation.
9. (8) Compliance History. A record of an agency's history with respect to attaining and maintaining compliance with applicable licensing laws and regulations.
10. (9) Department. The Department of Human Services.
11. (10) Director. The on-site child care center staff member for a child care agency who has overall responsibility for the daily oversight of all staff, direct child care services, and overall operation of the center.
12. (11) Educator. An individual, whether paid or unpaid, including the Primary Educator, who is responsible for meeting the supervision, protection, and basic needs of the child, and who is used to meet the adult:child ratios required by these rules. For the purposes of these rules the term educator is equivalent to caregiver as defined by T.C.A. § 71-3-501.
13. (12) Early Care and Education. A system that includes pre-kindergarten, Head Start, and licensed center-based, group, and home child care programs, dedicated to the care, education, protection, supervision or guidance of children beginning at birth.
14. (13) License. A permit issued by the Department to a child care agency authorizing the agency (the licensee) to provide child care in accordance with the provisions of the license, the law, and the regulations of the Tennessee Department of Human Services.

15. (14) Primary Educator. The adult on site at a family or group child care home who is directly responsible for care, education and supervision of children. For the purpose of these rules, the term primary educator is equivalent to primary caregiver as referenced in T.C.A. § 71-3-

    1. 501.
16. (15) Quality Rating Improvement System. The system by which all childcare agencies will be evaluated. This system incorporates four (4) evaluations over the course of a year of all childcare agencies.

Authority: T.C.A. § 71-3-502(a)(2) and (j). Administrative History: Original rule filed October 30, 2001; effective January 13, 2002. Repeal and new rule filed October 21, 2008; effective January 4, 2009. Amendments filed May 1, 2018; effective July 30, 2018. Amendments filed March 31, 2022; effective June 29, 2022. Amendments filed August 22, 2025; effective November 20, 2025.