We reward early childhood educators

To qualify for the WAGE$ program, early childhood educators must:

1. Work in a TDHS-licensed child care facility for at least six months
2. Earn $20 or less per hour
3. Work with children ages birth to five at least 10 hours per week
4. Have one of the education levels specified on the WAGE$ Salary Supplemental Scale

All child care employees who meet the eligibility requirements are welcome to apply for a supplement through WAGE$. It is important to note that WAGE$ can only reward educators for time spent in the classroom.

For example, if a director works 40 hours per week, but only 15 of those hours are spent in the classroom, they will be evaluated as a part-time employee in the classroom, and their supplement amount will be prorated. Owners will be asked to submit their tax information to verify their pay rate, rather than submitted a paystub.

Yes! Part-time employees are welcome to apply for WAGE$. They will, however, see their supplement amount reduced. Every applicant working less than 30 hours per week in the classroom will receive a prorated amount. Those supplements will be prorated at the following rates:

  30-40 hours per week: 100%

  21-29 hours per week: 75%

  10-20 hours per week 50%

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WAGE$ is an ongoing program with no "enrollment period". Instead, we have rolling deadlines each month. Once we have all three components of your application, please allow up to eight weeks before payment.

To apply for the WAGE$ program, early childhood educators must:

1. Fill out an application
2. Submit an official transcript
3. Send a paystub no older than two months

Filling out an application takes around 15 minutes. Filling out the Employee Verification Form (page 4 of the application) will take administrators around five minutes. Please allow around 24 hours for transcripts ordered electronically to arrive in our inbox.

Most official transcripts can be sent electronically. Applicants will need to locate the "Transcript Request" or "Registrar's Office" page of their university's website. Go through the request form and submit transcripts to:

  Child Care WAGE$ Tennessee

  wages@signalcenters.org

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Alternatively, you may contact the registrar’s office directly via email or phone and have them send it to us. Official transcripts sent via mail should be sent to:

  Signal Centers, ATTN: Child Care WAGE$ Tennessee

  109 North Germantown Road

  Chattanooga TN 37343.

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The hourly rate of pay is determined by directly referencing information from the Employee Verification Form within the WAGE$ application and cross-referencing it with the most recent pay stub you provide. For salaried employees, our staff will calculate your annual pay down to an hourly rate in order to verify you are below our eligibility pay cap.

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Your director will be the main contact point for WAGE$. Directors/administrators will fill out the Employee Verification Form (page 4 of the application) while their educator is applying. Beyond that, directors/administrators are responsible for verifying their employee's pay rate and hours worked for the previous six-month period. This process will take place during a confirmation call with one of our education counselors.

If a center has multiple educators that are up for a payment, our counselors will try to confirm each educator during one phone call with the director.

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How much money a recipient receives is directly related to the amount of education they have and how many hours per week they spend working in a classroom with children ages birth to five. The more education an educator has, the higher the salary supplement amount, as evidenced by our salary supplement scale.

Educators who work full-time in the classroom will receive the full amount of the supplement. Educators working part-time will see their supplement prorated at the following rates:

  30-40 hours per week: 100%

  21-29 hours per week: 75%

  10-20 hours per week 50%

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All salary supplements are direct deposited straight into the recipient's bank account. We cannot issue supplements by any other method other than direct deposit.

Once an applicant is deemed eligible and their file is approved, they will be added to a payment batch. WAGE$ initiates payments on the last business day of every month to the approved batch of applicants. 

Six months after an applicant's initial payment, their employment status at the center is reevaluated. If the applicant has maintained all eligibility requirements for those six months, they become eligible for a second direct deposit which will also be issued on the last business day of that month.

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Every supplement amount listed on the salary supplement scale is split into two payments given every six months worked consecutively at the same center.

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Eligible applicants will fall into one of two categories on our supplement scale:

  Temporary levels (1-7a on the scale)

  Permanent levels (7b-10 on the scale)

If you are eligible at a temporary level, you will receive your supplement for a period of two years (three years for family and group home owners). Applicants must increase their education enough to bump up to the next education level within this period, or else they roll off the WAGE$ program.

Once an applicant reaches a permanent level, they no longer need to continue their education in order to stay on the program. In that case, permanent applicants will receive money from WAGE$ for as long as funding permits.

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No! Our education counselors will check in with the applicant's director/administrator prior to distributing each supplement. This process is to verify the applicant's eligibility, but it does not require anything of the applicant.

The only instance in which an educator would need to reapply for the WAGE$ program is if they have become ineligible at any point (ie. have passed their two year fund-through-date, have changed their place of employment, etc...). To come back onto the WAGE$ program, applicants will need to completely reapply and have their eligibility reevaluated.

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To move up the salary supplement scale, educators must acquire the necessary education described in the scale. In order to receive credit for the acquired coursework, applicants will need to submit updated transcripts to our office that reflects the new coursework that has been completed. Once you move up a level, your next deposit will automatically reflect the new supplement amount.

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If you voluntarily leave your center to work at a different center, you will roll off the WAGE$ program. However, you are welcome to reapply as soon as you have spent six months at your new center.

It is important to note that if you are eligible at a temporary level, your two-year funding period will not start over if you relocate to another place of employment. In this case, you will likely miss out on one check waiting to become eligible to reapply at your new center.

Yes! It is important to note though that WAGE$ can only reward educators for time spent in the classroom. We give educators a two-week grace period where they can be away from the classroom. Any additional time beyond that, we will begin to shift when you receive your next check by the amount of time you were out.

For example, an educator who would normally receive their payments in June and December at a 12-month center would receive their payments in June and February if their center closed during July and August.

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Yes! WAGE$ does not remove any taxes from your salary supplement, but the money you receive from us will be viewed as taxable income by the IRS. During tax season, we will send you your 1099 form so you can file your taxes properly.

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