Business Details
28 Years
experience
Your Trusted Child Care Resource in Tennessee
Founded in 1998 by educator Marguerite Hullander, our organization began as a grassroots effort to support child care professionals in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Recognizing the critical need for quality early childhood education, we expanded statewide in 2000 through funding from the Tennessee Department of Human Services. As a managing hub since 2003, Signal Centers Inc. has provided administrative oversight while maintaining our core mission of empowering child care providers. Our team of highly trained Quality Coaches delivers technical assistance, professional development, and business support across all 95 Tennessee counties. With over 25 years of experience, we specialize in early childhood development, emergency preparedness planning, and family engagement strategies. Our statewide network includes eight regional sites offering tailored resources for infant-toddler care, developmental support, and health safety compliance.We maintain partnerships with local agencies to ensure alignment with state regulatory requirements while providing accessible training through both in-person and virtual formats. Our leadership team combines decades of academic expertise and practical experience in early childhood education. We operate under strict quality standards, ensuring all services meet or exceed state licensing requirements. Through continuous program evaluation and stakeholder feedback, we refine our offerings to address evolving needs in the child care sector. Our commitment to excellence has established us as a trusted resource for Tennessee's child care community.
Services
Child Care Training
Family Engagement
Emergency Preparedness
Developmental Support
Small Business Coaching
Health Safety Compliance
Quality Improvement
Accreditation Assistance
Early Literacy Programs
Trauma-Informed Care
Details
- Year established: 1998
Highlights and features
- We provide free state-certified training for child care professionals statewide
- Our 25+ years of experience in early childhood education support
- We offer region-specific coaching through eight local service centers
- Our team includes specialists in infant-toddler development and special needs care
- We maintain official partnerships with Tennessee Department of Human Services
Services
Child Care Training
We deliver comprehensive training programs for child care professionals across Tennessee. Our curriculum covers child development, trauma-informed care, and business practices. All training meets state licensing requirements and counts toward annual professional development hours.
Emergency Preparedness
Our specialists help child care providers develop compliant multi-hazard emergency response plans. We offer coaching, template resources, and regulatory guidance to ensure program safety and compliance with state requirements.
Developmental Support
Statewide coaches provide strategies for supporting children with developmental differences. Our services include classroom accommodations, inclusive practice training, and resources for working with children with disabilities.
Small Business Coaching
We offer financial and operational guidance for child care businesses. Our specialists provide budgeting strategies, licensing assistance, and business management resources tailored to early childhood education providers.
Family Engagement
Our programs foster collaborative relationships between educators and families. We provide tools for effective communication, family involvement strategies, and resources to support children's learning at home.
People
Sherry Harpole
Director
With over 30 years in early childhood education, Sherry leads our statewide initiatives. She holds a Master's in Early Childhood Education and previously served as college faculty and child care director.
Christy Wallsmith
Deputy Director of Infant, Toddler, and Family Services
Christy oversees programs supporting early childhood development for children birth to three. She brings extensive experience in infant-toddler care and family engagement strategies.
Johnican Coleman
Training Coordinator
Johnican manages our professional development programs. With expertise in curriculum design, she coordinates statewide training opportunities for child care professionals at all experience levels.
Keosha Perry
Quality Response and Improvement Coordinator
Keosha works directly with child care providers to enhance teaching practices. She specializes in classroom observation techniques and quality improvement strategies for early education programs.
Lindsey Thurman
Director of CCR&R Marketing
Lindsey leads our outreach efforts connecting providers with available resources. She manages marketing campaigns to increase awareness of training opportunities and support services across Tennessee.
Questions
What services does CCR&R offer child care providers?
We provide professional development training, business operations support, developmental resources, emergency preparedness planning, and family engagement strategies for licensed child care providers.
Are your training programs free?
Most training sessions are offered at no cost and count toward required professional development hours for child care professionals across Tennessee.
How can I connect with a regional coach?
Visit our website to identify your region and contact local specialists. We have service centers covering all 95 Tennessee counties.
Do you support family child care providers?
Yes, we offer specialized resources for family child care providers including licensing assistance, business coaching, and curriculum development support.
What emergency preparedness resources are available?
We provide template plans, compliance guidance, and one-on-one coaching to help child care programs develop multi-hazard emergency response plans meeting state requirements.
How do you support children with special needs?
Our developmental support coaches offer classroom accommodations, inclusive practice training, and specialized resources for educators working with children with disabilities.
