National
The National Law Enforcement Foundation is addressing the national recruiting and retention crisis by providing affordable, accessible, quality childcare and early education for law enforcement agencies all over the nation.
A National Movement: NLEF Is Delivering What Law Enforcement Needs Now
The law enforcement profession is in crisis—and so is the childcare workforce it relies on. Departments across the country are struggling to recruit and retain officers, while officers already on the job are being stretched thin, with overtime budgets exploding and morale sinking. At the same time, a nationwide shortage of affordable, flexible childcare is making it nearly impossible for officers—especially those with young children—to stay in the profession long-term.
This is where the National Law Enforcement Foundation (NLEF) comes in. We are the nation’s leading expert in customizing childcare and early education solutions that are specifically built for law enforcement agencies. We work shoulder-to-shoulder with command staff, city leaders, unions, and foundations to deliver workforce solutions that actually work. This is not about theory—it’s about action.
The national movement began in San Diego, where NLEF partnered with the San Diego Police Officers Association to launch the first law enforcement-only childcare center in the country. The San Diego model became a national benchmark. The U.S. Department of Justice featured it in the Community Policing Dispatch, and in 2023, NLEF was invited to Washington, D.C., to brief the DOJ and BJA on how to scale these solutions nationwide.Since then, NLEF has expanded rapidly. In 2024 alone, we worked directly with agencies and associations in Idaho, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, and now with the U.S. Border Patrol, responding to direct calls for help from both rank-and-file officers and agency leadership. Our team engages daily with departments seeking urgent, tangible solutions—not bureaucratic delays. We build coalitions, secure funding, manage implementation, and deliver long-term strategies for workforce sustainability.
The mission is clear: Give officers the support they need to stay on the job, thrive in the profession, and build strong families while serving their communities.
NLEF isn’t waiting for permission—we’re delivering results now. The national movement is no longer just underway—it’s accelerating.
