Chattanooga Community Development and Early Learning Committee Meeting - October 29, 2026

On Thursday, October 29, 2026, the Chattanooga City Council's Community Development and Early Learning Committee held a livestreamed, one-hour meeting. Chair Councilwoman Rachida Dotley led the session with committee members Chairman Davis, Councilwoman Noel, and Councilman Clark. The meeting was intended as a reset for the newly formed committee, with administrators from the Department of Early Learning and the Department of Community Development presenting division-level updates, current projects, and upcoming initiatives. No formal votes or legislation were considered.

Department of Early Learning Update

• Early Learning Administrator Carissa Jones presented the department's five operating divisions and its vision of ensuring every child in Chattanooga receives a strong foundation through high-quality early learning environments and stabilized families.
• Office of Chattanooga Head Start and Early Head Start: The office manages over $15 million in federal funding and serves 585 children. Head Start serves children ages 3 to 5, while Early Head Start serves children from six weeks to roughly age 2.5 to 3. Fewer than 30 funded slots are currently unfilled, and the department is close to, but not yet at, its 97 percent full-enrollment goal. Fall health and pediatric growth screenings are underway, including hearing, vision, blood pressure, lead, and developmental checks. Students met or exceeded 100 percent of proficiency targets on the latest assessment, including 98.6 percent in gross motor skills and over 92 percent in social-emotional development. Upcoming work includes an annual self-assessment from November through March 2027, a November governing board report, and January grant refunding, comparability review, and community needs assessment work.
• Office of Parent Family and Community Engagement: On October 30, the department will submit a Governor's Early Literacy Foundation grant application for the Chattanooga Storybook Trail Project. Between June and October 23, the office engaged 2,175 parents, caregivers, and children through community events, open houses, and utility drives. Upcoming programs include the Not Your Basic Elf Hunt in December, the Chatter Baby Newborn Initiative, Traveling Basics Playgroups Tour, and a Champions Coalition launch in January 2027. Upcoming events include the Toddler Turkey Trot on November 7, Hardy Elementary Basics Week November 9-13, and Holiday Daddy and Me with Santa on December 11-12.
• Office of Early Learning: The office supports independent child care providers through its Provider Success Closet, need-based child care supports, CPR training, and classroom quality observations. Sayubona Live, a mobile literacy resource bus programming series, launches this winter from January through March 2027. The Ready Together Initiative in April 2027 will support family, friend, and neighbor providers who serve as informal child care providers. October 29 events include the Saya Booya Bash at Calvin Donaldson Elementary, with setup beginning at 5 p.m. The citywide Kindergarten Transition Fair returns in spring 2027, followed by a Baby in Your Business conference for child care owners in summer 2027.
• Office of AmeriCorps Senior Foster Grandparents: The federal progress report is due Friday, October 31, and covers volunteer demographics, hours served, low-income verification, and veteran status. The program maintains 52 volunteer service years and 65 active senior volunteers placed in local classrooms each week. Upcoming events include the October 30 volunteer in-service at the Family Justice Center focused on fall prevention and the 43rd annual Foster Grandparent Recognition Banquet at the downtown Marriott on December 3. Under federal guidelines, these events are closed to the general public, but council participation is available.
• Office of Community Forward: The office provides school-based wraparound supports across eight school hubs, including Archer Knob Elementary, Woodmore Elementary, Calvin Donaldson Elementary, Hardy Elementary, Orchard Knob Middle, Brainerd High, and Tyner Middle High Academy. Highlights include a water safety pilot serving 12 Woodmore students, Orchard Knob Future Fund and Hygiene Kit Drives, Tyner RAM awards, and Howard's harvest family night. Upcoming events include Woodmore's Day of Giving on November 6, Dads are the Anchor on November 10, Boots and Brunch on November 10, and Family Night on December 11. The department reports connecting over 2,100 residents to municipal and community supports.

Department of Community Development Update

• Community Development Administrator Cedric Henson presented six divisions, 162 employees, and an impact report covering January 1 through October 26, 2026.
• Aquatics: The department has begun adopting the CDC's Model Aquatic Health Code, a science-based national guideline designed to prevent drowning, chemical injuries, and waterborne illnesses. Fall swim lessons served 48 participants; Saturday open swim hours at indoor pools were expanded from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.; and three new aquatic staff are being hired. Virtual water fitness classes, a pool infrastructure assessment, and a new indoor pool staff training manual are planned. Water safety classes are being co-hosted for K-3 students at Barger and Wilmore Elementary, a Thursday swim lesson class is being added in January, and pool hours will expand over Christmas break.
• Community Advisory Committees: The CAC handbook and toolkit are being revised, a centralized community directory is being built, and a volunteer working group is being established. CAC-initiated programs include book clubs, financial seminars, water safety training, basketball skills development, and GED classes in the Dotson region. Planning is underway for spring 2027 events, including disc golf, a community job fair, and a health and wellness fair.
• Community Centers: The fall/winter 2026 program guide includes 260 seasonal programs, classes, and events. AEDs are being placed in all community centers, and Walden Security will begin phasing security services into centers on November 1. The Eastgate Senior Center is targeting January 2027 activation; a second community resource hub in South Chattanooga is scheduled for March 2027; and the James A. Henry building has staff in place with Baylor Tutoring already underway. The East Lake community resource hub parking lot surfacing starts in November 2026, and 28 special events are scheduled through December 16.
• Community Engagement: The division is leading the citywide United Way campaign. Its language access and civic integration program achieved a 100 percent on-time completion rate for translation requests and conducted 43 interpretation sessions, including rapid response support at the Pilgrim's Pride closure job fair. Upcoming initiatives include a UTC student community engagement cohort, the Midtown Connect Fall Festival on October 31, and the MLK Day of Service in January.
• Office of Community Health: A third Heart Hub launched at East Lake in collaboration with the American Heart Association. The Bridge Forward Program will provide transitional case management for juveniles exiting Hamilton County's ShowCap program. The rate crisis center groundbreaking is scheduled for Monday, November 2, 2026.
• Office of Family Empowerment: FY27 LIHEAP Energy Assistance operations began October 1. The office is currently a silver-tier agency, the only one in Tennessee, and has begun foundational work toward the gold tier of excellence. Resource fairs continue through October and November, and LIHEAP technology support is being offered at Midtown with the Enterprise Center.

Council Questions and Follow-Up Requests

• Councilman Clark asked for definitions of the Head Start age groups and noted the briefing packet was helpful. He also requested an updated, current center-by-center staffing chart; Community Development staff agreed to provide it as soon as possible, with the second round of interviews for three assistant director positions scheduled for the following week.
• A council member expressed concern that vending machines in community centers are not returning revenue to the centers and asked that the contracts be reviewed so a percentage of the profits goes to the centers. The same member also asked that center rental fees be directed to center funding rather than the general fund.
• Council members requested data and metrics for the Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention, including the Cure program and 423 Chain Breakers, because those programs were not mentioned in the presentation or impact report.
• Council members asked for a fuller explanation of what makes a community resource hub a hub and how future hubs are selected. Henson explained that hubs are not cookie-cutter and must guarantee daily programming in four categories: health and wellness, community service and social support, education and workforce development, and recreation and quality of life. He cited WIC, a driver's license kiosk, cooking classes, tutoring, and pickleball as examples. Future hubs are planned for South Chattanooga after East Lake, followed by Avondale.
• Chair Dotley reported that she has visited all 19 community centers, participated in an Office of Family Empowerment lunch-and-learn and community development all-hands meeting, and hosted a community advisory committee refresher course.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes or legislative actions were taken; the meeting was informational.
• Staff agreed to compile and provide requested follow-up materials, including the current community center staffing chart, organizational chart information, vending machine contract details, center rental fee information, data on the Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention, and more detail on community resource hub planning and community needs assessments.
• The committee will coordinate council participation in early learning site visits and RSVP requests for the December 3 Foster Grandparent Recognition Banquet.
• Chair Dotley said another committee meeting will be scheduled with more detailed discussions, pending legislation, and future announcements.