A Hamilton County Schools program that gets students ready for childhood education will soon be underway.
The new program would give high school students teaching credentials to quickly get them into a work force that is strapped for people to watch your children.
Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly is sending one million dollars of American Rescue Plan money to the program.
Programs leaders tell us that by the time students in this program graduate, they can immediately work for early learning centers.
According to a press release, this will also fill jobs in the daycare field, allowing parents still at home to get back to work.
At Champion Christian Learning Center, there's neve a dull moment.
The child care center is a haven for learning.
"Our job as early learning educators is not just to foster a love of learning, but give them that luggage that they need to carry off into kindergarten so that they are successful," says Cynthia Evans.
And with 99 climbers, speedsters, and inquisitive minds running around, owner Cynthia Evans says the need for staff is greater than ever.
"Unfortunately, we just don't have the staff to keep up with kids that are enrolling," says Evans.
Now the city has a plan to help.
Using $1 million from the American Rescue Act, the city's launching a new Future Ready Institute at Tyner this fall.
"What we're trying to do with this is to help do our part to fill that void with trained professionals," says Karitsa Mosley Jones.
It's a program Hamilton County schoolboard member Karitsa Mosley Jones says will train high school students in childhood education, creating a new workforce.
"Our goal with future ready, it was to allow students the opportunity to look into a different career path for education," says Jones.
It can create exciting moments for little hearts and minds, and helping ease the minds of parents too.
Mosley Jones says the ARP funds will cover the program for the next 5 years.
It's open to all high school students in Hamilton County.
The city says a number of early learning centers have already agreed to assist with job shadowing and post-graduation job placements.
This includes Chattanooga Head Start, Purpose Point Learning Academy, and Champion Christian Learning Academy.