Nashville leaders are joining forces to fight the early childhood education crisis
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Government, business and philanthropic institutions are joining forces to embark on a moon mission of fixing Nashville's early childhood education crisis.
Why it matters: The lack of options facing parents now affects quality of life for residents and economic development opportunities for corporations.
- Parents put career plans on hold, babies are signed up for daycare waiting lists before they're born and low-income residents have few options for early childhood education in Nashville.
State of play: To address the problem, 29 partners spanning government, nonprofit and business sectors launched the Nashville Early Education Coalition. The announcement came Thursday during a press event at the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
Zoom in: The lack of daycare centers and preschools has been a pervasive problem for Nashville. But until now, groups worked on the issue with a piecemeal approach, leaders of the coalition said.
By the numbers: "The reality is, here in Nashville over 53% of those little guys born three years ago do not have access to great child care options in this city that will support their growth," Hal Cato, executive director of the Community Foundation, said during yesterday's press conference.
- According to data from the new coalition, 60% of Nashville families report employment disruptions due to a lack of available child care.
So how did Nashville, the vibrant city that attracts major corporate relocations, plummet into an early childhood education "crisis," as Cato calls it?
- He says the first issue is staffing. Jobs at early childhood education centers don't pay enough to attract the talent needed to meet demand.
- Melanie Shinbaum, who was announced as the new coalition's executive director, said the cost of early childhood education is also a problem. Costs have disproportionately been pushed onto parents, she says.
What she's saying: "We have heard loud and clear from parents and providers that our fragmented child care system is not working," Shinbaum says.
What's next: The coalition is in its infancy, and its leaders say it doesn't have all the answers.
- In the months ahead, the coalition will work with stakeholders to develop a "citywide solution" to increase the availability and quality of early childhood education.
- The group's priorities are to "uplift educators" by increasing compensation and mental health support, advocating for policy changes and leadership development within the profession.
- Cato says he's especially encouraged to see the state of Tennessee participating in the cause.