The State of the Child in Tennessee 2025 Report provides comprehensive data on Tennessee children,

youth, and their families, highlighting successes and opportunities.

 Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth has released the State of the Child in Tennessee 2025 Report, offering a comprehensive snapshot of how children, youth, and families across the state are doing. Published annually, this report brings together publicly available data to highlight trends and outcomes across a wide range of issues, from maternal and prenatal health to the experiences of young people transitioning out of foster care. By examining indicators across the lifespan, this report provides policymakers, advocates, and the public with a data-informed view of the challenges and opportunities facing Tennessee’s children and youth as well as areas the state has made gains.

Key takeaways in the 2025 report include:

• Data collected from foodbanks across the state highlighting the rise in demand for food assistance during the temporary suspension of SNAP benefits.
• Child poverty rates slightly decreased from 2023 to 1 percent but remain higher than the national average.
• In 2025 the median market rate for infant center-based childcare was $13,926 annually, making it more expensive than in state tuition at all four of Tennessee’s public universities.
• Post-pandemic, the state has experienced steady improvement in the percent of elementary students meeting or exceeding expectations in TCAP English Language Arts, going from 4 percent to 43.4 percent.
• In FY2025, 531 youth who aged out of foster care accepted Bright Futures (formerly Extension of Foster Care Services) representing the largest number of youth ever served.
• In 2023, Tennessee had a child and teen death rate of 2 per 100,000, the state’s highest since

2000.

“As we strive to create a brighter future for children, youth and families across Tennessee, it’s important to pause and celebrate the progress we’ve made,” said TCCY Executive Director Richard Kennedy. “At the same time, we remain committed to investing in the work that will make Tennessee the best place for every child and family.”

Release Information

The State of the Child in Tennessee 2025 Report and our data highlights document, which provides an abbreviated look at some of the key data contained in the 2025 report can be found on our website at https://www.tn.gov/tccy/programs0/kc-pubs-nav.html.

About the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth

The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY) is an independent, nonpartisan agency created to ensure the state’s policies and programs effectively promote and protect the health, well-being and development of children and youth. Established by the Tennessee General Assembly as a permanent commission, TCCY is the state’s centralized informational resource and advocacy agency for timely, fact-based information to aid policymaking and coordination of resources.