Childcare is a significant barrier for recruiting and retaining a diverse, healthy, and community-oriented law enforcement workforce.

Let's fix that together.

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childcare 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.
Learn more about what we do

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.
78%

of agencies reported having difficulty in recruiting qualified candidates

65%

of agencies reported having too few candidates applying to be law enforcement officers

75%

of agencies reported that recruiting is more difficult today than it was five years ago

50%

of agencies reported having to change agency policies in order to increase the chances of gaining qualified applicants

25%

of agencies reported having to reduce or eliminate certain agency services, units, or positions because of staffing difficulties

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 issues
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
Read more about our solution
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 efforts

We'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.

National

National

Colorado

Missouri

Idaho

Dallas

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