NASHVILLE, TENN. — Two pieces of legislation to streamline daycare permitting and zoning are awaiting their third reading in the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County. Metro Councilmember Clay Capp is among the councilmembers advancing the measures.

Capp described what the bills would offer to those seeking to open daycare facilities. "Folks who want to do daycare projects, when this passes, will be able to get an upfront meeting with predictability about departmental reviews that'll save them time. It'll save them money. It'll help bring more of those online faster," he said.

He also framed the bills as a response to the cost and availability of childcare in the city. "I think a program like this is a solid little way to encourage daycare projects to come online because child care is way too expensive and scarce in Nashville, and we as a Metro Government should help folks who want to care for our children," Capp said. "There's nothing better or more important that anyone can do than that and so I ask for everyone's support."

Fannie Battle Day Home for Children, which has served families in the Nashville area for 135 years, provides childcare for children from six weeks to 10 years old at reduced rates based on a sliding scale tied to family income. The center cares for nearly 100 children over the summer and 130 during the school year from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays. Its Family Empowerment Program provides coaching, financial counseling and employment navigation to families. Mary Cady Bolin, director of development at Fannie Battle Day Home for Children, said the organization is "one of the oldest providers of affordable and accessible early childcare in the world, which is incredibly unique."

Bolin cited data on the local childcare shortage. "Only 56% of the children who were born in Nashville this year will have access to early childhood education before they are two," she said. "One of the latest statistics is that we are 8,000 or more spots short for the children who are born." She also noted the gap between childcare costs and household income, pointing to a study showing the true cost of high-quality childcare for an infant for one month is nearly $3,500, compared with a median monthly income of $4,300 for single-parent households in metropolitan Davidson County.

Bolin said the organization once drew primarily from East Nashville but now serves a wider region. "We used to serve families primarily from East Nashville, but as the need has expanded, we serve families from as far away as Clarksville," she said. She added that the childcare gap extends beyond the local area: "This isn't just a problem for Nashville. It's not just a problem for Tennessee. This is something that we see across the board."