Moving forward with a historic project to provide better childcare options for law enforcement, the San Diego Police Department broke ground this week on the nation’s first childcare center customized to meet the needs of law enforcement.
“This first-of-its-kind childcare facility is part of our comprehensive effort to ensure SDPD is a great department to work for,” said Mayor Todd Gloria on Thursday. “With careers in law enforcement being more demanding than ever, this childcare center will help alleviate our officers’ childcare challenges so they can focus on keeping San Diego one of the safest big cities in America.”
Led by the San Diego Police Officers Association and Chief David Nisleit, the childcare center will be the first to offer San Diego Police Department employees extended hours and affordable rates thanks to a public-private partnership.
“The often-uncertain schedules of police officers make it a challenge to coordinate daycare under the traditional model,” Police Chief David Nisleit said. “We are excited to bring this center to fruition as it will ease the burden of childcare to our officers. SDPD is proud to be pioneering this effort and paving the way for other law enforcement agencies to do the same.”
Upgrades to the current city facility will turn underutilized classroom spaces into a regulated early childhood learning center. The construction is being overseen by McCarthy Building Companies.
“The San Diego Police Officers Association has been working for years to secure the funding and push this project to the forefront,” President Jared Wilson said. “Childcare for our members will be a game-changer in supporting dedicated San Diego Police Officers and their families, who serve the City of San Diego. We are so excited to be one step closer to making our vision a reality.”
Once completed, the center will provide childcare at 50% of the market rate to SDPD personnel and offer extended hours to accommodate non-traditional work schedules and call-out situations of police officers. KinderCare is the approved childcare provider and will also pay its employees 20% above market rate salaries.
The initiative is funded for three years and includes a $3 million investment from state grants secured by Senate President pro-Tempore Toni Atkins that was allocated in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget, with additional philanthropic support from KinderCare and the Cushman Foundation’s Making a Difference for San Diego grant program. The total for the three years is approximately $4.7 million.
Since the initial announcement in 2022, law enforcement agencies across the nation have reached out to San Diego for guidance to replicate this childcare model for other police departments.
The center is anticipated to open by the end of the year.