Childcare is a significant barrier for recruiting and retaining a diverse, healthy, and community-oriented law enforcement workforce.
Let's fix that together.
Donatechildcare for law enforcement
The National Law Enforcement Foundation (NLEF) works at all levels of philanthropy and government to cut through the childcare funding bureaucracy.
We educate to change the allocation of funds to directly assist law enforcement agencies in creating custom childcare and early childhood education to address the recruiting and retention crisis impacting every city and state in the country.
A recent survey of a major metropolitan police department showed 59% of officers reported leaving or missing work because of childcare. One in five officers considered leaving their jobs altogether because of childcare stresses. Child care in law enforcement must be a priority to make policing accessible to all.
Child care in law enforcement must be a priority to make policing accessible to all.
law enforcement is in crisis
America’s traditional childcare services need to meet the needs of the modern workforce and the unique needs of law enforcement.
Current accessibility and affordability obstruct law enforcement families from utilizing traditional childcare centers. The lack of affordable, flexible, and quality childcare impacts our economy and society. And when it keeps cops off the streets, it even affects our safety.
Less than
13%
of full-time police officers in the U.S. are women.
1 in 5
officers consider leaving their jobs altogether because of childcare stresses.
59%
of officers reported leaving or missing work because of childcare concerns.
Police morale has plunged, retirements and resignations have soared, women are not promoting, and applications are declining at an alarming rate. Given the many complex challenges facing modern police agencies, the advantages of hiring more women have never been more apparent. However, women will inevitably remain under-represented at the current hiring rate unless traditional practices are changed substantially and innovatively.
While there are many reasons for this crisis, we focus on bringing an innovative, measurable approach to implement police-led- police reform.
We are in a policing crisis and must align and champion tangible solutions to invigorate the workforce. Child care in law enforcement must be a priority to make policing accessible to all.
Learn more about the issuesWhile there are many reasons for this crisis, we focus on bringing an innovative, measurable approach to implement police-led- police reform.
We are in a policing crisis and must align and champion tangible solutions to invigorate the workforce. Child care in law enforcement must be a priority to make policing accessible to all.
who we are and what we do
We are not simply providing childcare or tax credits. We are overhauling the accessibility and affordability of childcare through representation, legislation, and fundraising.
Accessibility
Childcare facilities exclusively for law enforcement with extended hours that supports shift work and holidays
Affordability
Half the market-rate of tuition and 20% pay increase for teachers
partnership
A coalition of philanthropic, corporate, and public leaders aligned to support and improve law enforcement
success stories
The National Law Enforcement Foundation cuts through the childcare funding bureaucracy to assist agencies in accessing the resources to create their childcare program to address the recruiting and retention crisis impacting every city and state in the country.
Learn about our national effortsWe're bringing childcare to law enforcement all across the nation.
Click on a location to learn more about our efforts to create coalitions and educate law enforcement leaders and elected officials that there is a model that NLEF customizes to bring childcare and early childhood education funding to law enforcement agencies.
