She was told that families were waiting for assistance. The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services says the program has just over 3,100 funded stipend slots statewide. In the 14-county region that includes Rutherford County, 64 children are on the waiting list, with 826 funded slots.

Families are enrolled as openings become available or additional funding is secured, DCS said. The department did not provide a statewide waiting-list total in the information available.

Schofield described juggling bills and worrying about unexpected expenses while raising the children. “What if something happens and comes up? Then what do you do?” she said.

The expense of raising children adds to the strain. A 2026 LendingTree report estimated that raising a child from birth to age 18 costs more than $300,000, even after tax credits.

Schofield said it is painful to think that a family might have to consider foster care because relatives cannot get enough support to care for children at home. She hopes caregivers facing similar pressures know they are not alone.

DCS said it has partnered with the University of Tennessee’s Social Work Office of Research and Public Service on two federally funded efforts: one to assess what is working and where support could improve, and another to develop a kinship navigator tool. The department also has a Resource Linkage Team to help families find services suited to their needs.

DCS Commissioner Margie Quin is working with lawmakers to seek more funding for the stipend program next year, the department said.