Metro leaders pitch plan to bring more day care centers to Nashville
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Metro leaders rolled out a plan last week aiming to cut bureaucratic red tape so more child care centers can open in the city.
- The strategy is a partnership between Mayor Freddie O'Connell and Metro Councilmembers Rollin Horton and Clay Capp.
Why it matters: Nashville is in the midst of a child care crisis — there aren't enough facilities to meet the community's needs.
By the numbers: Child care stats for the Nashville area paint a bleak picture.
- In Nashville, 60% of working parents report employment interruptions due to inadequate child care, according to data from the Nashville Early Education Coalition.
- Davidson County families lost $175 million in annual reduced earnings due to child care restraints, according to data released by the coalition in 2024.
- Nine ZIP codes throughout Davidson County have unmet child care needs.
Driving the news: O'Connell unveiled two policies to help add more day care facilities.
⏰ Metro Council legislation, sponsored by Capp, would expedite permitting for new centers or for existing facilities that want to expand.
- Under the plan, day care center reviews will face the same permitting scrutiny as any other project, but their applications will automatically be moved to the top of the queue.
🗺️ The mayor also partnered with Horton for legislation that removes zoning code restrictions for where day care centers can operate.
Zoom in: Under the current law, daycare centers must be built at least 1,000 feet apart. Prospective centers also need special exceptions from the Board of Zoning Appeals in order to open, which can be a costly and time-consuming process.
- Horton's plan, called Codes for Kids, removes the distance barrier and allows centers to be built by right, as long as they meet certain state and local requirements.
What they're saying: "The first five years of a child's life are some of the most important, and how we support them speaks to the values we share as a city," O'Connell said in a statement. "We need more childcare offerings, and this creates them."
- "Our current policies donʼt prioritize parents or kids. Codes for Kids changes that and puts families first," Horton said.