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Pregnancy & family help in Tennessee

43 organizations in Tennessee offering help with pregnancy, housing, food, childcare, adoption and more. We checked each one before listing it, but hours and services change, so please call ahead.

Adoption

Free / Subsidized Childcare

  • Douglas-Cherokee Economic Authority — Head Start and Early Head Start

    Federal Head Start and Early Head Start for income-eligible children ages 0-5 in eight East Tennessee counties; apply online.

  • Metropolitan Action Commission — Head Start and Early Head Start

    Davidson County's largest early education provider for children 0-5: infant care and preschool at seven Nashville centres for income-eligible families, plus support for pregnant women's prenatal care and a whole-family approach.

  • Porter-Leath — Early Head Start and Head Start

    Early Head Start for pregnant women and families with children birth to three in Shelby County with income at or below the federal poverty guidelines (centre-based or weekly home visits), plus Head Start centres across Memphis.

Churches / Baby Closets

  • Hope Clinic for Women

    Nashville clinic offering pregnancy services and ultrasound, plus the Bridge Parenting Program: monthly gatherings through your baby's second birthday with a gift each time, and access to the Bridge Baby Nook of essential baby supplies. Men's services too.

  • Portico

    Free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and support in Murfreesboro and on a mobile unit. Parenting classes earn Baby Bucks for its Baby Boutique: diapers, wipes, baby clothes, car seats, formula and more at no cost.

Clothing / Supplies

  • Birth Choice Pregnancy Clinic

    Pregnancy medical clinic in Jackson and Gibson County where clients earn 'Mommy Money' and 'Daddy Dollars' to 'purchase' maternity and baby items (sleepers, outfits, care items and more) from its resource rooms.

  • Hope Clinic for Women

    Nashville clinic offering pregnancy services and ultrasound, plus the Bridge Parenting Program: monthly gatherings through your baby's second birthday with a gift each time, and access to the Bridge Baby Nook of essential baby supplies. Men's services too.

  • Portico

    Free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and support in Murfreesboro and on a mobile unit. Parenting classes earn Baby Bucks for its Baby Boutique: diapers, wipes, baby clothes, car seats, formula and more at no cost.

Domestic Violence

  • Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence — Find Help

    Statewide

    Find local domestic and sexual violence help in Tennessee. Tennessee Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-356-6767; Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-866-811-7473. (The coalition itself is not a shelter or crisis line.)

Employment

  • Dress for Success Chattanooga

    Interview attire through partner referral agencies and programs for women seeking work.

  • Dress for Success Memphis

    Interview attire through partner referral agencies, job training and a career centre for women.

  • Dress for Success Nashville

    Interview attire through partner referral agencies and career workshops for women.

  • Goodwill Middle Tennessee — Career Solutions

    Job training programs, career coaching, job fairs and hiring events, career centres and a mobile career centre across Middle Tennessee.

  • Tennessee American Job Centers

    Statewide

    Find your local American Job Center (or a mobile centre) for job search help, career exploration and training programs.

Potential Financial Assistance

  • Catholic Charities, Diocese of Nashville — Emergency Assistance

    Short-term emergency assistance, based on available funding, for individuals and families in Middle Tennessee experiencing a personal crisis or disaster.

  • The Salvation Army — Kentucky and Tennessee Division

    Statewide

    Emergency utility, mortgage and rent assistance to help families struggling with basic bills stay in their homes; local teams assess each family's needs.

Food Programs

Health Assistance

  • Christ Community Health Services

    Faith-based community health centre in Memphis bringing physical, mental and spiritual healing to its neighbors, with a call centre for appointments.

  • Neighborhood Health

    Affordable health care in Nashville, with in-person and virtual visits and help for people unsure where to go for care.

  • TennCare (Tennessee Medicaid) — How to Apply

    Statewide

    Apply for TennCare (and CoverKids for children) online, or call TennCare Connect at 855-259-0701; even if you don't qualify for Medicaid they can tell you about other programs.

Housing Assistance & Shelters

  • Nashville Rescue Mission

    Christian mission sheltering men, women and children experiencing homelessness in Nashville, with programs addressing the whole person: physical, mental, spiritual, emotional and social.

  • Room In The Inn

    Nashville hospitality for people experiencing homelessness: a winter shelter programme with congregations during the coldest months, plus essential services and community programs.

Infant & Baby Equipment

  • Helping Mamas Knoxville

    East Tennessee baby supply bank working through nonprofit and healthcare partners: its Nursery Needs Program supplies diapers, wipes, car seats, strollers and safe sleep items in a baby's first four months, and a mobile unit brings essentials to neighborhoods (see its distribution calendar).

Mental Health & Postpartum Assistance

  • Nurse-Family Partnership — Tennessee

    Statewide

    A registered nurse visits expectant parents at home during pregnancy and the child's first years, about two and a half years in all. Tennessee programs are run by Erlanger (Chattanooga), Northeast Tennessee NFP and Le Bonheur (Memphis). Nurse-Family Partnership is now run by Changent.

Parenting Classes

  • Families Matter — Family Programs and Classes

    Educational programs and classes that strengthen Memphis families, including Connections: Relationships & Marriage.

  • Porter-Leath — Early Head Start Home Visiting

    Weekly home visits (monthly for prenatal families) with one-on-one parenting education, counseling and referrals for income-eligible pregnant women and families with children under three in Shelby County.

Pregnancy Centers

  • Hope Clinic for Women

    Nashville clinic offering pregnancy services and ultrasound, plus the Bridge Parenting Program: monthly gatherings through your baby's second birthday with a gift each time, and access to the Bridge Baby Nook of essential baby supplies. Men's services too.

  • Portico

    Free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and support in Murfreesboro and on a mobile unit. Parenting classes earn Baby Bucks for its Baby Boutique: diapers, wipes, baby clothes, car seats, formula and more at no cost.

  • Pregnancy Resource Center (Blount County)

    Free pregnancy medical clinic in Maryville (and Sevierville): pregnancy testing, ultrasound examinations and STI testing, with support before, during and after your pregnancy.

Special Needs Assistance

  • Easterseals Tennessee

    Services for people with disabilities in Tennessee, including early intervention for children and autism therapy (ABA) centres.

  • Family Voices of Tennessee (Tennessee Disability Coalition)

    Statewide

    Emotional and educational support for families of children with special health care needs, and Tennessee's Family-to-Family Health Information Center for navigating health care systems.

  • Tennessee Disability Coalition

    Statewide

    Statewide coalition working to improve the lives of Tennesseans with disabilities through advocacy and programs, including Family Voices of Tennessee.

  • The Arc Tennessee

    Statewide

    Statewide advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, with 15 local chapters providing direct services.

  • TNSTEP (Support and Training for Exceptional Parents)

    Statewide

    Statewide nonprofit (since 1989) helping parents of children and youth from birth to 26 with disabilities, special health care, mental health or behavioral needs: IEP and special education support, plus free workshops and webinars.

Support for Fathers

  • Families Matter — Fatherhood

    Christian Memphis ministry equipping and encouraging men to be great dads and build healthy families, including its AFIRM program for fathers.

Transportation

  • TennCare — Non-Emergency Medical Transportation

    Statewide

    TennCare members without transportation can schedule rides to any TennCare-covered service; call the number for your health plan listed on this page, ideally at least two business days ahead.

Looking for more? Nationwide hotlines and programs that also serve Tennessee are in the full directory search. Know an organization that belongs here? Tell us about it.