In 2024, the average cost at infant child care centers in Tennessee was more than in-state tuition at all but one of its four-year, public universities, according to the latest State of the Child Report. At the remaining university, that figure fell only a few hundred dollars short of in-state tuition.
The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth’s annual report, released Thursday, highlighted the growing burden of living costs and child care on Tennessee families, along with the effects of gun violence, mental health and more on youth.
It listed the average statewide cost for center-based infant child care at $13,126 last year, while in-state tuition at the University of Tennessee was $13,484. The report also showed across-the-board increases from 2019 to 2024 in child care centers and group homes for both infants and toddlers ranging from $2,250 to $3,055.
“Child care costs continue to be out of reach for many families, particularly single-income households,” the report stated. “For many families, child care is the largest household expense, totaling more than their rent or mortgage.”
A baby plays with small toys inside the nursery at St. Mary Villa Child Development Center in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, Sept. 25, 2023.
Meanwhile, Tennessee families surveyed between Aug. 20 and Sept. 16 last year expressed concerns over increased costs of living and struggles to keep up with household expenses. Half of households with children said it was “somewhat difficult” or “very difficult” to pay for their expenses in the last week in the survey, surpassing the 41% of households that gave that same response nationally.
Here are a few more key figures the survey revealed:
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63% reported an increase in prices over the last two months was “very stressful,” compared to 56% nationally
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75% in Tennessee and nationally said they think prices have increased in the last two months
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1-in-3 in Tennessee and nationally said they chose not to take a trip in the last week due to the cost of gas
From 2023: Tennessee ranks among top child suicide rates nationwide, report shows
Tennessee child poverty rates also showed an increase, hitting 19.7% in 2023, up from 17.6% the year before, according to the report. Meanwhile, national child poverty rates dropped slightly from 16.3% in 2022 to 16% in 2023. Poverty rates for children ages 5-17 in Tennessee also markedly increased from 16.8% in 2022 to 19.7% in 2023. Nationwide, that number dropped slightly from 15.9% to 15.7%.
The comprehensive, 66-page report covered a wide variety of topics including demographics, education, health, justice, economics and more for Tennessee children.
Here are a few more key takeaways from the 2024 State of the Child report.
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Guns still involved in most deaths of Tennessee children
Guns are still involved in most deaths both nationwide and in Tennessee for children ages 1-17, followed by motor vehicle-involved deaths, the report showed.
Tennessee’s rate of firearm deaths among children is significantly higher than the national rate. When it comes to children age 1-17 in Tennessee, 4.6 per 100,000 died by firearms in 2022, ranking the state as the 10th highest in the country.
Here are a few key figures included in the report:
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From 2019-2022, there were 216 homicide deaths among children ages 1-17 in Tennessee, with 87% involving firearms
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In 2022, 67 children ages 1-17 died of homicide in Tennessee, with 53 of those involving a firearm. Compared to roughly a decade prior, that number is markedly higher. In 2013, 34 children died of homicide in Tennessee and 23 of those deaths involved a firearm.
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Firearms were also used in 51% of deaths by suicide among Tennessee children ages 9-17 from 2019-2022, the report showed. While the suicide rate for that age group did not increase in 2022, the state ranked 15th in overall suicides and fifth in firearm-involved suicides nationwide for children ages 9-17.
Numbers tied to mental health issues also reveal some troubling trends in Tennessee, according to the report. From 2017-2023, all measures of suicidal ideations among Tennessee high school students increased, with 15% attempting suicide in 2023. That’s up from 8.3% in 2017 and has steadily increased in the last several years.
Meanwhile, 1-in-5 Tennessee households with children who need mental health treatment reported it was very difficult to get treatment, according to 2024 data gathered in August and September.
See Tennessee’s State of the Child report, data for yourself
The full 2024 State of the Child Report can be found at TN.gov/TCCY/StateOfTheChild.
The commission also launched a new tool called the FUTURE Data Dashboard, which has interactive graphics, county-level data, historical data and more. Find the dashboard at TN.gov/TCCY-future.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee child care costs pass in-state public college tuitions