Who We Are & What We Do
Private Early Childhood Education and Childcare Built Around the Families Who Serve
The National Law Enforcement Foundation creates private schools that provide exceptional early education and childcare specifically for law enforcement families, built around theneeds and unpredictability of a law enforcement career.
We bring together philanthropy, values-aligned education partners, and law enforcement to turn an identified need into an operating school.
NLEF serves as the responsible conduit, bringing together the resources, expertise, and funding necessary to make each school a reality.
Every school is built around the families it serves, with exceptional teachers in a secure and trusted environment, affordable tuition, and the flexibility law enforcement families need.
How the Model Works
NLEF does not enter a community unless invited by local or agency law enforcement leadership.
From there, we start with the officers and families themselves. Through surveys and direct engagement with rank-and-file personnel, we establish the need and determine what kind of school will best serve that workforce.
NLEF then develops the model, evaluates the appropriate financing strategy, brings together private philanthropic support and operating partners, and serves as the responsible conduit from identified need to operating school.
The school remains privately run, while the law enforcement agency is an important partner in measuring the impact on recruitment, retention, family stability, wellness, and return on
investment.
What It Takes to Establish a School
Establishing a private school and childcare center designed specifically for law enforcement is a significant undertaking. That is why NLEF exists.
There are four critical pieces:
A Demonstrated Need
Rank-and-file participation and survey data establish the need and help determine what will best serve the workforce.
Law Enforcement Partnership
The agency does not operate the school, but its partnership is essential to understanding the workforce and measuring results.
The Right Financial Model
NLEF evaluates capital and operating requirements, develops a strategic financing plan, and secures the private support needed to establish the school.
A Path To Sustainability
Each school is designed not simply to open, but to operate successfully and demonstrate measurable value over time.
Our Solution and Approach
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Create and operate a childcare facility exclusively for law enforcement with extended hours that supports shift work. Provide childcare and education coverage for 17 hours per day, 7 days a week, including holidays, with an emergency call-out option for officers on call.
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Provide 50% discount off market-rate of tuition. Tackle the teacher shortage by increasing pay by 20%.
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Organize a coalition of philanthropic, corporate, and public leaders aligned to provide a community-based, fiscally responsible approach to improve policing and support law enforcement.
Built for Each Community
There is no one-size-fits-all NLEF school. We have customized the model for individual departments, regional law enforcement communities, and federal law enforcement, with different approaches for urban, suburban, and rural communities..
Each project begins with the specific needs of the workforce: who needs care, when they need it, what already exists, and what model will work best for that community.
The result may be a dedicated school for a single department, a regional model serving multiple agencies, or another approach tailored to the specific workforce and community.
The model stays consistent. How we deliver it is customized to the people and place it serves.
YOU can help!
Childcare for law enforcement doesn't exist. NLEF is working to change that by educating law enforcement leaders, elected officials, and philanthropists to push to change the allocation of funds to help address the national recruiting and retention crisis impacting every city and state in the country.
You can help NLEF provide this critical need by donating to our cause.