Expanding Childcare Access
We partner with employers to develop practical childcare benefits, collaborate with public agencies to streamline licensing and permitting so quality centers can open and grow, and publish clear, local data to target resources where the gaps are greatest. The result: more seats, more stability for working parents, and stronger starts for young children.
Strong Starts, Stronger Nashville
This was a city-wide advocacy and community engagement initiative designed to elevate public understanding of early childhood education, strengthen cross-sector relationships, and build momentum for meaningful policy change in Nashville and Tennessee.
Anchored by two complementary learning experiences — a late-summer documentary screening and panel discussion of Starting at Zero, followed by a fall, city-wide book read of The Daycare Myth — the initiative engaged families, early educators, policymakers, philanthropists, and childcare providers in shared learning and dialogue.
The initiative was intentionally timed to conclude ahead of the 2026 legislative session, ensuring that conversations, lived experiences, and data surfaced through the events could directly inform emerging policy priorities and legislative proposals.
To reduce barriers to participation, NEEC and partners supported child-friendly programming, meals, and childcare through mini-grants and community-hosted gatherings. Engagement opportunities were offered both in-person and virtually, creating multiple pathways for participation across neighborhoods and stakeholder groups.
ECE Providers Fire Codes Presentation
NEEC convened more than 20 early childhood education organizations to learn more about the new regulatory codes relating to fire safety — historically a huge roadblock to opening new childcare centers and receiving certification. This group is continuing to have conversations at the state level for how to remove barriers to opening childcare centers, while ensuring student safety and state compliance.