Mayor Freddie O’Connell joined legislative leaders to announce two pieces of legislation designed to make it easier for Nashvillians to find convenient, affordable childcare. By expediting permitting and loosening restrictions around where day care centers can operate, Mayor O’Connell is seeking to make it easier to open and operate childcare centers.
The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth’s 2025 The State of the Child in Tennessee report found that the median infant care program and the media toddler care program in Davidson County both cost more than $13,000 per year per child.
Research has repeatedly shown that the first five years of a child’s life has enduring impact on their social and emotional development as well as their ability to learn throughout their life, and ensuring families have access to quality childcare is a critical support for Nashville parents.
“Throughout my time in office, we have focused on improving quality of life for Nashvillians, and ensuring families have access to reliable, affordable childcare is a key part of their ability to flourish in Nashville,” Mayor Freddie O’Connell said. “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. We need more childcare offerings, and this creates them.”
Most of Nashville’s existing day care regulations come from legislation passed in 1997. The Mayor’s Office worked with departments over the past 14 months to identify opportunities to remove antiquated restrictions that impact day care availability.
Councilmember Rollin Horton expressed a desire to partner on the effort, and he, the Mayor’s Office, and the Planning Department finalized proposed changes to the Metro Code.
The second piece of legislation gets red tape out of the way, so day care projects receive an expedited permitting process – just like the city offers affordable housing projects.
The reviews themselves still face the same scrutiny as any other project, but affordable housing and day care are moved to the top of the queue.
Councilmember Clay Capp, the lead sponsor of the permitting legislation, added, “The city should support and encourage development of quality day care centers because this is a vital way for us to support our working families. I encourage my colleagues on Metro Council to support both pieces of legislation, and I appreciate the collaboration we’ve had with the Mayor’s Office to move toward more quality day care offerings.”
