NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mayor Freddie O’Connell joined Metro Council partners Friday to announce two pieces of legislation aimed at making it easier to open and operate childcare centers in Nashville, a move city leaders say could help families struggling to find affordable care.
The proposals would streamline the permitting process for day care facilities and modernize regulations governing where childcare centers can operate. City officials say the changes are designed to encourage the development of more childcare options across Davidson County.
According to the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth’s 2025 State of the Child in Tennessee report, the median cost of infant care and toddler care in Davidson County both exceed $13,000 per year per child — a price point that places a significant financial burden on many working families.
Research consistently shows that the first five years of a child’s life play a critical role in shaping long-term social, emotional, and academic development. City leaders say expanding access to high-quality childcare is essential for supporting both children and their parents.
“Throughout my time in office, we have focused on improving quality of life for Nashvillians, and ensuring families have access to reliable, affordable childcare is a key part of their ability to flourish in Nashville,” O’Connell said. “The first five years of a child’s life are some of the most important, and how we support them speaks to the values we share as a city. We need more childcare offerings, and this legislation helps create them.”
Many of Nashville’s existing day care regulations date back to legislation passed in 1997. Over the past 14 months, the Mayor’s Office worked with multiple Metro departments to review those rules and identify outdated restrictions that may be limiting the availability of childcare providers.
Councilmember Rollin Horton partnered with the administration and the Metro Planning Department to develop proposed updates to the Metro Code that would remove barriers and make it easier for providers to establish new facilities.
“Our zoning codes reflect our priorities,” said Horton. “They decide what can be built, where it can be built, how much of it can be built and how hard it is to build. Our current policies don’t prioritize parents or kids. Codes for Kids changes that and puts families first.”
A second piece of legislation would reduce administrative delays by placing day care projects in an expedited permitting process similar to the one currently used for affordable housing developments.
While projects would still undergo the same technical reviews required for other developments, childcare facilities and affordable housing proposals would move to the front of the review queue.
Councilmember Clay Capp, the lead sponsor of the permitting legislation, said the changes could help address one of the most pressing needs facing working families in Nashville.
“The city should support and encourage development of quality day care centers because this is a vital way for us to support our working families,” Capp said. “I encourage my colleagues on Metro Council to support both pieces of legislation, and I appreciate the collaboration we’ve had with the Mayor’s Office to move toward more quality day care offerings.”
If approved by the Metro Council, the legislation would mark one of the city’s most direct efforts to address Nashville’s growing childcare shortage while helping families balance the demands of work and parenting.
