Client Spotlight: Childcare Expansion Project
Since December of 2022, Elevate has been fortunate to work on a project that aims to serve childcare providers in Nashville, with the longer-term goal of increasing high-quality childcare seats in Nashville. This conversation has been happening for the last few years in Nashville, with more and more attention being given to it in the midst of mayoral races and the need for an increased workforce as more companies come to the city. Apri Gassaway with the United Way of Greater Nashville enlisted Elevate’s support in mapping the pathway to increasing childcare seats, specifically by way of creating a guide that shows existing and incoming childcare providers the steps which they can take to either expand their existing centers, open “satellite” or “microsites,” or open new centers entirely.
The need for this project cannot be understated: childcare centers not only stabilize working families, but they boost the economy by preventing businesses from losing employees due to lack of childcare. Davidson County alone loses $275.4 million annually in lost earnings and revenue for parents, taxpayers, and businesses. Beyond the economic impact, there is specifically a need for high-quality childcare as unlicensed providers and other alternatives pose a great danger to the next generation of Nashvillians.
After convening a group of stakeholders from childcare center directors, staff members, and folks in the community who have been working on advocacy for advancing childcare in Nashville in December, Elevate got to work interviewing the people in Nashville who had done the work before. There is a wealth of knowledge already in the community about this process and where limitations exist: for example, finding a location to host a microsite or new childcare site is incredibly difficult due to the necessary and strict safety measures these buildings must meet. Additionally, other challenges such as funding and staffing were identified as important notes for anyone moving forward with the process of expansion.
Through these interviews, our team was able to put together a draft of what a guide and roadmap to opening high-quality childcare seats may entail. Our next step was convening our group again to see what we were missing. After feedback, we continued onto our next step which was interviewing Metro Codes, Zoning, and the Fire Department to see what useful information they could provide us for centers looking to meet the standards for new locations. These interviews shed light on what other stumbling blocks may occur for center directors, and we produced our next draft of the guide. This was presented to the group which had convened previously, and their comments were added and the final draft of this edition of the guide was created. The road to opening a childcare center, expanding seats by renovation, or adding a microsite is not easy in any way, but it is crucial for the development of Nashville. Centers are vastly underfunded despite what a pivotal role they play in our communities and for parents, children, and employers alike.
As such, this guide is a living document that will continue to inform those who are interested in embarking on the childcare expansion journey so hopefully, they encounter fewer barriers along the way. Elevate Consulting is fortunate to have a vast network of partners who will continue to move this document forward. This includes Raising Readers of United Way of Greater Nashville, and the Tennessee Alliance for Economic Mobility (TAEM). Raising Readers Action Team One is focused on continuing to make improvements to the guide itself, and TAEM will also play a role. One of Elevate’s values includes prioritizing systems change, which looks at creating a paradigm shift from singular projects or programs to a systemic model which considers the people and place that the work happens in to create larger change. This project really lives into this premise, not only for the continuation of the work but also for how the shared knowledge gained over the last few months can inform policy and various workforce development initiatives and policies around child wellness in Tennessee.