Tennessee Code Title 49. Education § 49-1-1102

(1) “Care giver,” “care givers,” “care provider” or “care providers” means the person, persons, entity or entities directly responsible for providing for the supervision, protection and basic needs of the child;

(2) “Child care” means the provision of supervision, protection and, at a minimum, the basic needs of a child or children for three (3) or more hours a day, but less than twenty-four (24) hours a day. Care for a child of twenty-four (24) hours duration is “residential child care,” which is licensed by the department of children's services pursuant to title 37, chapter 5, part 5. The department of human services licenses “child care agencies” providing child care in “child care centers,” “group child care homes” or “family child care homes” as defined in § 71-3-501;

(3) “Child care program” means any place or facility operated by any person or entity that provides child care for children in a before or after school based program operated by a local board of education pursuant to § 49-2-203(b)(11), a public school administered early childhood education program, a church affiliated program operated pursuant to § 49-50-801, or a federally funded early childhood education program such as a Title I program, a school-administered head start or an even start program, state-approved Montessori school programs and a program operated by a private school as defined by § 49-6-3001(c)(3)(A)(iii);

(4) “Child or children” means a person or persons under eighteen (18) years of age;

(5) “Commissioner” means the chief administrative officer in charge of the department of education; and

(6) “Department” means the department of education.