(a) Moneys in the fund must be used to establish and operate the following programs, in the following order:(1) The child care workforce scholarship pilot program created in § 71-1-306 to provide categorical eligibility for free child care for children of eligible child care workers. It is the general assembly's intent that the child care workforce pilot program receives allocations from the fund over each three-year period of the pilot program's operation totaling five million dollars ($5,000,000);(2) The CareShare Tennessee pilot program created in § 71-1-307, which is an employer-supported child care assistance program. It is the general assembly's intent that the CareShare Tennessee pilot program receive allocations from the fund over each three-year period of the pilot program's operation totaling five million dollars ($5,000,000); and(3) The smart steps plus program created in § 71-1-308, if any funds remain available in the promising futures fund after the funding goals expressed in subdivisions (a)(1) and (2) are met for the respective programs.
(1) The child care workforce scholarship pilot program created in § 71-1-306 to provide categorical eligibility for free child care for children of eligible child care workers. It is the general assembly's intent that the child care workforce pilot program receives allocations from the fund over each three-year period of the pilot program's operation totaling five million dollars ($5,000,000);
(2) The CareShare Tennessee pilot program created in § 71-1-307, which is an employer-supported child care assistance program. It is the general assembly's intent that the CareShare Tennessee pilot program receive allocations from the fund over each three-year period of the pilot program's operation totaling five million dollars ($5,000,000); and
(3) The smart steps plus program created in § 71-1-308, if any funds remain available in the promising futures fund after the funding goals expressed in subdivisions (a)(1) and (2) are met for the respective programs.
(b) Subject to available funding, the department may continue or expand the child care workforce scholarship pilot program created in § 71-1-306, and the CareShare Tennessee pilot program created in § 71-1-307, if the department's continuation or expansion of one (1) or more of the programs are approved by the governor.