Ballad Health Center for Early Learning

During FY25, Ballad Health successfully operated eight early learning centers and partnered with the YWCA on a ninth. These Centers for Early Learning are available to Ballad Health employees as well as the community. Our goal is to provide high-quality childcare that is accessible and affordable, enabling families to be gainfully employed while feeling confident that their children are cared for in a safe, nurturing environment. Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia are childcare deserts, meaning there are not enough quality childcare slots for the number of children under the age of five. Ballad Health has significantly helped by providing over 1,000 slots for team members and the general public. These early learning centers care for children from six weeks of age to age five and, in Virginia, may include school age children during the summer. Ballad Health has managed to create accessible childcare by offering extended hours and an expanded number of days open per year. All Centers for Early Learning are open Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and offer care on most holidays, closing only on Christmas Day and Thanksgiving Day. It has been made affordable by participating in state subsidy programs to assist families with tuition expenses. An emphasis on kindergarten readiness is evident in all Ballad Health early learning programs. A high-quality, research-based curriculum is used across the system and teachers create lesson plans that focus on brain development, social/emotional skills, and early literacy foundations. Parents/Guardians are vital to the success of the centers. Monthly family engagement events are held to give parents and guardians opportunities to be on site with their children to gain insight as to what the children are doing while they are away being productive in the workforce.