St. Louis County: Center Open and Serving Families

We are thrilled to announce that the St. Louis County Law Enforcement Childcare Center is officially open and serving families. This milestone marks a transformative moment not just for St. Louis County law enforcement but for the broader movement to make policing a sustainable and family-supportive profession.

This achievement is the result of extraordinary leadership and deep community investment. The St. Louis Police Foundation, the Michael and Noémi Neidorff Family Foundation, and the St. Louis County Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) were instrumental in bringing this project to life—rallying the support and funding necessary to deliver for St. Louis officers.

The journey began in early 2023 when the National Law Enforcement Foundation (NLEF) was invited by Colonel Gregory, the St. Louis County Police Association, and the Missouri FOP to help develop a real solution to the region’s police recruitment and retention crisis. At the time, the department was operating more than 100 officers short—and internal surveys showed that access to high-quality childcare would be a decisive factor in officers’ decisions to stay with the agency.

NLEF helped build a coalition of elected officials, law enforcement advocates, and philanthropists and provided the strategic planning and data necessary to elevate the issue to the state level. A critical turning point came in early 2023 when NLEF secured a partnership with the Michael and Noémi Neidorff Family Foundation, which pledged matching funds to break ground on the facility. That investment unlocked an additional $1.5 million in private philanthropic support, ultimately surpassing $3 million in total private investment.