Nashville Early Education Coalition Launches to Tackle Childcare Crisis for Children, Infancy to Age Five, in Davidson County
Nashville, TN – Formed by 29 critical partners committed to addressing the growing childcare crisis in Davidson County, we are proud to announce the launch of the Nashville Early Education Coalition (NEEC).
With over half of Nashville’s children lacking access to affordable, high-quality early childhood education, NEEC is stepping forward to create a solution that will impact the lives of families and children across the region.
“Access to quality early education is a gamechanger for our city,” says Melanie Shinbaum, Executive Director of NEEC. “We have heard loud and clear from parents and providers that our fragmented childcare system is not working. NEEC is here to bring these voices together and create a comprehensive path to support Nashville’s youngest learners.”
NEEC was formed from a coordinated effort by organizations, including the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, United Way of Greater Nashville, and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. These entities, alongside the coalition’s stakeholders representing leaders from the early education sector, the business community, local and state government, and philanthropy, recognized that despite many well-meaning initiatives, there was no centralized system to connect resources, policymakers, and providers.
NEEC aims to fill this critical gap by establishing an organized hub to ensure that children ages birth to five have the support they need to thrive.
“Collaboration across our city has been vital in bringing this coalition together,” says Erica Mitchell, Executive Vice President and Chief Impact Officer of United Way of Greater Nashville.”The United Way, along with our key partners, has long prioritized early education. We are excited that with NEEC, we now have a unified effort to drive the change that our city’s families and early education professionals desperately need.”
The need is urgent: 60% of families in Nashville report employment disruptions due to the lack of available childcare, and low-income communities face the greatest barriers to access. NEEC’s collaborative approach brings together leaders from diverse sectors to create lasting change for Nashville’s future.
NEEC’s priorities include:
- Uplifting Educators: Increasing compensation, retention stipends, and mental health support for early childhood educators.
- Advocacy: Championing policy changes to improve the early childhood education system and support educators.
- Leadership Development: Establishing a Director’s Catalyst Cohort to support early childhood education leaders while championing the field within the broader community to elevate public perception, increase recognition, and expand access to diverse funding streams
“What’s truly transformative about NEEC is having a dedicated team that wakes up every day solely focused on improving how our city serves young children and their families, says Angela Goddard, Executive Director at the Joe C. Davis Foundation, one of the coalition’s founding investors. “In the past, many individuals juggled the responsibility of addressing these challenges while managing their own day-to-day demands. NEEC is now able to focus entirely on creating solutions, allowing our community to come together without that constant balancing act.”
“We’re dreaming of a Nashville where every child has the opportunity to learn and grow in an environment that supports them,” says Hal Cato, CEO of Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. “This coalition is not just about solving today’s problems but building a foundation for the future of our children and our city.”
For more information and a full list of stakeholders and advisory council, visit nasheec.org or contact Melanie Shinbaum at [email protected].
About the Nashville Early Education Coalition (NEEC):
Nashville Early Education Coalition was founded to address the childcare crisis for children ages birth to five in Davidson County. Comprised of critical stakeholders from the diverse sectors of early childhood education, local and state government, business and philanthropy, NEEC works to ensure all children have access to affordable, high-quality early childhood education by advocating for policy changes, uplifting educators, and supporting families.
NEEC Advisory Council
Councilwoman Burkley Allen
Council Member At Large
Metropolitan Government
of Nashville & Davidson County
Laura Bilbrey
Senior Director of Learning and Implementation
Teaching Strategies
Hal Cato
CEO
Community Foundation of Middle TN
Anne Clem
Grant Manager
ChildcareTennessee
Claire Coleman
Operations Consultant
Little Wonders Early Learning Center
Stephanie Coleman
Chief Talent Development Officer
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
Leslie Cowell
Dean, College of Education
Lipscomb University
Debbie Ferguson
Childcare Director
Glen Leven Presbyterian Church Day
School
Alyssa Garnett-Arno
Executive Director
St. Mary Villa Child Development Center
Dana Glenn
Director of Child & Adult Care Licensing
TN Dept. of Human Services
Megan Godbey
Director
Raising Readers Nashville
Angela Goddard
Executive Director
Joe C. Davis Foundation
Monique Hodison
Executive Director
Schrader Lane Childcare & Learning
Academy
Micha Johnson
Director, Early Embrace
Raphah Institute
Watechia Lawless Mitchell
Director of Children and Youth Initiatives,
Mayor’s Office Metropolitan Government
of Nashville & Davidson County
John Mikos
CEO
YMCA of Middle Tennessee
Erica Mitchell
Executive VP and Chief Community
Impact Officer
United Way of Greater Nashville
Cynthia Osborne
Executive Director, Professor of Early Childhood
Education and Policy
Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, Vanderbilt University
Viva Price
Executive Director
Youth Encouragement Services
Melanie Shinbaum
Executive Director
Nashville Early Education Coalition
Rebecca Woods
Vice President of Government Relations
TN for Quality Early Education
Tamiko Wright
PreK Teacher
St. Luke’s Community House
