Early Learning Connections
Early Learning Connections is a group of Nashville’s well established child care centers who have come together in an innovative shared services project, made possible through a Department of Human Services grant facilitated by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
Early Learning Connections focuses on collaborative opportunities in administrative, management and other operational services. By working together, we are able to create efficiencies, reduce redundancies and bring together resources to improve the lives of our children and families we serve.
Who We Are
• Twelve separate, independent nonprofit child care centers with 18 locations
• serving Davidson County, Tennessee
• High-quality, accessible, affordable child care for all families
• Some of the longest established providers of child care in the United States
Who We Serve
• More than 1,500 children attend our programs, ages 6 weeks to 12 years
• Over 80% of our children participate in the low-income USDA free lunch program
Some Examples of Our Initiatives
• Group Purchasing of Supplies and Services
• Evaluation of shared administrative functions such as enrollment, staffing, revenue collection and fundraising
• Evaluation of web-based tools to help with standardization of common center administrative functions
• Professional development opportunities for center staff
Early Learning Connections
3833 Cleghorn Avenue, Suite 400
Nashville, Tennessee 37215-2519
Phone: (615) 321-4939
Email: earlylearning@cfmt.org
www.ELCTennessee.org
Our Mission
We are an alliance of independent, early care and education providers, bringing together our individual strengths in order to develop new solutions that improve the quality, accessibility and sustainability of the services offered to the children and families we serve.
Our Partners
Early Learning Connections is funded under an agreement with the Tennessee Department of Human Services in its continuing efforts to improve the early learning community. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee serves as the project’s collaborative partner. Other donors for this initiative include Frist Foundation, HCA Foundation, Ingram Charitable Fund, and the Cal Turner Family Foundation.
Early Learning Connections Centers
Bethlehem Centers of Nashville
Blakemore Children’s Center
Eighteenth Avenue Family Enrichment Center
Fannie Battle Day Home for Children
First Steps, Inc.
Grace M. Eaton Child Care & Early Learning Center
King’s Daughters Child Development Center
Martha O’Bryan Center
McNeilly Center for Children
St. Luke’s Community House
St. Mary Villa Child Development Center
Wayne Reed Christian Childcare Center