A three-year experiment to help working families break out of poverty in East Tennessee is starting to look less like a test and more like a roadmap. The East Tennessee Collaborative, a pilot program based in the Knoxville area, is reporting measurable gains in its third year, with leaders saying more than 800 households have already seen real progress. The model combines intensive coaching, targeted financial help, and employer partnerships so parents can boost earnings while keeping housing and childcare stable. Local partners say the results are strong enough that the conversation has shifted to how to keep the work going once the pilot window closes.
Year three results in brief
According to a Year Three report, the initiative has served 872…..