Tennessee Child Support
Employment & Parenting Program (TCSEPP)
Who does TCSEPP help?
If you have been ordered to pay child support in a county covered by TCSEPP, and you are ready to get help to overcome barriers and find a job, then you are eligible for TCSEPP support.
How does TCSEPP help?
- Employment preparation, job search assistance, and job readiness assistance
- Intensive personal advocacy
- Parenting support
- Resource linkage
- Transportation assistance and supportive services
What happens when TCSEPP helps?
TCSEPP participants…
- Set and achieve goals for economic mobility, self-sufficiency, and parenting.
- Enjoy enhanced physical and emotional health.
- Develop a stronger parent/child bond and more effective interpersonal coping strategies.
- Enjoy increased positive social support and community connections.
- Contribute to the economic stability and well-being of their children by meeting their child support obligations.
- Are more likely to pay more of their child support and meet a greater portion of their child support obligations in the 12 months after program participation when compared to the 12 months prior to program participation.
Parents express a sense of well-being when they have opportunities to thrive financially, they experience physical and mental health, and their children demonstrate educational success and are secure and happy. Navigating the child support system while looking for a job and establishing a healthy and strong relationship with their children is difficult for some parents. In partnership with the communities we serve, TCSEPP provides a wide array of comprehensive, trauma-informed, evidence-based services to parents involved with the child support system to enhance their sense of well-being and help them and their children thrive.
Honesty, Transparency, and Trust
We are authentic and truthful in every interaction we have with parents, families, partners, communities, and one another; we show respect and regard for each person’s unique lived experience, strengths, and beliefs; and we are transparent about our decision making and our outcomes.
Fairness and Equity
We maintain awareness of institutional and personal bias, and we respect and hold in high regard people of all ethnicities, cultures, gender identities, sexual identities, and socioeconomic backgrounds and perspectives.
Safety
We create an environment where power is shared and work in partnership with parents, families and the community toward change that will result in safe, stable, nurturing relationships for children.
Accountability and Results
We employ evidence-informed services and interventions and track and analyze data to improve all our practices and policies.
Empowerment
We affirm the unique strengths and needs of each parent and respect their voice and choice in decisions about their lives.
The Power of Family
We work continuously with parents to develop and support safe, stable, nurturing family relationships and multiple paths to parent success and self-sufficiency.
Community and Collaboration
We build community partnerships to provide a wide array of services to meet the needs of the parents we serve.
Healing
We are trauma-responsive in our work with parents.
TCSEPP serves the following judicial districts:
- Judicial District 4: Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson, and Sevier counties
- Judicial District 5: Blount County
- Judicial District 6: Knox County
- Judicial District 7: Anderson County
- Judicial District 8: Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress, Scott, and Union counties
- Judicial District 9: Loudon, Meigs, Morgan and Roane counties
- Judicial District 10: Bradley, McMinn, Monroe, and Polk counties
- Judicial District 13: Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam and White counties
- Judicial District 21: Williamson County
- Judicial District 26: Chester, Henderson, and Madison counties
- Judicial District 32: Hickman, Lewis, and Perry counties
Team Members
Debbie Abrams-Cohen
Tia Alderson
David Bolton
Melanie Bonner
Pam Borovy
Jessica Brown
Melissa Carter
Hailey Cates
Blaki Davidson
Nicole Duncan
Ashley Franklin
Angela George
Darla Hilliard
Tim Hyde
Christy Jones
Matt Keller
Jan King
April Laferriere
Laura Manville
Sam Morey
Shane Morgan
Tony Mullins
Maggie Murmann
Jessica Olney
Dana Paramore
Stephanie Pyle
Petra Reini
Ty’China Rhooms
Gaby Rimmer
Rosemary Rogers
Danielle Smith
Monica Stedman
Sonia Tipton-Law
Elizabeth Vickers
Morgan White
Allison Yonker
Recent News
TCSEPP State Director Debbie Abrams-Cohen Interviewed on cityCURRENT
In a recent episode of cityCURRENT, host Andrew Bartolotta interviewed TCSEPP State Director Debbie Abrams-Cohen.
