Minor league teams like the Nashville Sounds and the Knoxville Smokies also are joining the Every Team for Every Child initiative to deal with a critical shortage of foster parents.
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Tennessee has more than 8,000 kids in state custody but only 5,000 foster homes.Last year, the state launched a $4.1 million tech effort to close that gap, an initiative called Every Child TN.Celebs like Dolly Parton and Thomas Rhett are helping hype the effort to draw more public support for foster kids.The pro teams will join that effort with gameday presentations, community events and social media posts.
For what’s believed to be the first time ever, all of Tennessee’s major league sports franchises have united for a cause.
The Tennessee Titans, Nashville Predators, Nashville SC and the Memphis Grizzlies all have committed to help a 9-month-old statewide initiative, Every Child TN, to support kids in foster care, officials with the Governor’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative office told The Tennessean.
Other professional sports franchises, including minor league baseball teams the Nashville Sounds and Knoxville Smokies, have also signed up for the Every Team for Every Child initiative, the office said.
The teams have committed to spotlight foster care during games, hold community events and use social media platforms to push becoming a foster parent, the state said.
“Sports have a rare and powerful ability to bring people together,” Kathleen Clancy, director of Every Child TN, said in a statement.
“With this partnership, we can lift up those on the front lines — foster parents, social workers, nonprofits, and the children themselves — and show them that the entire state is behind them,” she said.
Last year, Tennessee launched Every Child TN by giving an Oregon tech company $4.1 million to deal with a big shortage of foster families to house and care for children in state custody.
Tennessee has more than 8,000 children in state custody, but only about 5,000 certified foster families, and many of those will only take babies or young children with no obvious behavior or mental health challenges, Tennessee Department of Children’s Services officials said.
Last year, about 73% of foster children were placed with families outside of their home counties, some as far as three hours away. And about one-third of kids in state custody are separated from their brothers and sisters when they are placed, a Governor’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative spokesperson said.
Since August, the Oregon tech company, The Contingent, through the Every Child TN initiative, helped generate 176 new and prospective foster home placements and more than $500,000 in donations to meet physical needs of foster kids, the state said.
The Titans and other pro sports teams will join several celebrities, including music superstars Dolly Parton and Thomas Rhett, in plugging Every Child TN.
“At the Tennessee Titans, we believe in using our platform to stand with Tennessee’s children and families — especially those impacted by foster care,” Johari Matthews, Tennessee Titans Foundations director, said in a statement.
“Partnering with Every Child TN for Every Team for Every Child reflects our commitment to building stronger communities and ensuring every child feels seen, supported, and valued. Together with our fellow teams, we’re honored to raise awareness and inspire action for the future of Tennessee’s youth.”
The pro teams will start plugging Every Child TN in the 2025-2026 season, the state said.
Reach Brad Schmitt at brad@tennessean.com.