A new Tennessee law quietly opens the door for private child care programs to become training sites for future teachers—at no direct cost.
Most Tennessee child care owners have never heard of SB2404, the education bill signed into law this year. But buried in its pages is a provision that could reshape how small child care businesses recruit and retain staff.
Here's what's happening: Private child care programs can now become what the law calls "clinical practice sites" for teacher-preparation apprenticeship programs. In plain terms, this means your child care business can host student-teachers—people training to become educators—without paying them directly.
The provision allows child care programs that meet Tennessee's licensing and quality standards to partner with educator preparation programs that run state-approved registered apprenticeships. When you do, student-teachers can work in your classrooms as part of their training, gaining hands-on experience while you gain an extra set of hands and a potential pipeline to hire credentialed staff.
The key requirement: Your partner educator preparation program must operate a registered apprenticeship approved by the state. Not all teacher-training programs do. So before exploring this option, you'll need to identify which programs in your area offer registered apprenticeships and whether they're looking for clinical practice sites.
For child care owners facing staffing challenges, this creates an opportunity. You can access emerging talent without the upfront training costs. Student-teachers bring energy, fresh perspectives, and—critically—they're working toward credentials. If you find the right fit, you may be able to hire them after they complete their apprenticeship.
There's a practical benefit too: having student-teachers on site can ease scheduling pressures and allow your existing staff more flexibility.
However, this isn't automatic. Your program must already meet licensing requirements and quality standards. You'll also need to do the legwork of connecting with educator preparation programs and negotiating what a partnership looks like—supervision, schedules, expectations, and what happens after the apprenticeship ends.
The law takes effect on different schedules. Rules governing the clinical practice site provision may be written immediately upon enactment. All other purposes of the bill become effective July 1, 2026. (See Section 2, Page 3 of SB2404.)
This means regulatory guidance could arrive before the main effective date, giving you time to understand the requirements before the law fully takes effect.
If you're interested in exploring whether this works for your program, start by identifying educator preparation programs in your region that operate registered apprenticeships. Reach out to them directly about becoming a clinical practice site. Be prepared to discuss your licensing status, quality metrics, and what support you can offer student-teachers.
This provision won't solve every staffing problem, but for the right child care business, it's a tool worth understanding.
Source: Tennessee SB2404, Section 2, Page 3; Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4 and Title 49.