Communities invest in child care as a way to support first responders

TUCSON, Arizona — When Officer Erik Hite was shot and killed in the line of duty, the ripple effects went far beyond his colleagues at the Tucson Police Department.

“When tragedy like that hits one agency, all the agencies are the same. All agencies come together,” said Nohemy Hite, Erik’s widow and the founder of the Erik Hite Foundation.

“They go to the funeral. Whatever the family needs, whatever the department needs, it doesn’t matter what uniform you’re wearing. They are all the same.”

That same sense of shared responsibility helped shape what came next.

When Nohemy Hite set out to create a child care center for first responders, she didn’t limit her vision to one department. She wanted to serve families from agencies all across their hometown in Pima County. 

Since opening in 2011, the Erik Hite Child Development Center has done just that, serving families from departments including police, sheriff, highway patrol, the U.S. Air Force and even the FBI. 

“We have a lot of families from different departments and when they get together, it’s like they’re old friends,” said Faye Collins, the center’s director. “They’ve just built that community and it’s beautiful to see.”

Community support helps sustain Erik Hite CDC

The center’s success has relied not just on its structure, but on the network supporting it.

Hite spent years building that network — attending workshops, finding mentors and rallying supporters.

“I knew that if it was going to work, it was going to be because God had His hand on all of this and He was gonna bring the right people at the right time,” she said. “It’s a lot of knocking on doors until they believe your vision and they trust you.”

Those who couldn’t donate money gave their time. They volunteered at fundraisers and helped with repairs to get the center up and running. 

When it first opened, a local hospital donated cribs. A few years later, the center’s landlord offered to cover the cost of expanding the infant room — all Hite needed to do was pay for the furnishings. 

Local law enforcement agencies and fire departments have continued to support the foundation financially and by spreading the word about its services.

One of Erik’s fellow law enforcement officials, who is also a licensed CPR instructor, has provided free training and certification for staff since the center opened.

Hite said the center’s extended hours, discounted rates and employee benefits wouldn’t be possible without significant philanthropic support. 

“I still have quite a few donors that have been donating since 2009 that really believe in our mission and what we stand for,” Hite said.

Finding child care can be extra challenging for shift workers

The benefits of first responder focused child care extend beyond individual families.

As police departments across the country struggle with staffing shortages, Tucson Police Chief Monica Prieto said access to reliable care has become a factor in recruitment and retention.

“When you’re a first responder, you have to work difficult hours, you have to work long hours,” Prieto said. “Knowing that there’s a child care center that is open that late, that can be flexible with your work schedule, helps.”

The challenge of finding child care beyond the traditional work day isn’t unique to Tucson. It’s not even unique to first responders.

About 16 percent of the labor force works nonstandard-hour jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But a 2019 survey by Child Care Aware of America found that only 8 percent of center-based child care providers offer care during those hours.

Many of those workers are first responders and law enforcement officials. Others may work in retail, manufacturing, hospitality or the medical field. 

Since launching the Erik Hite CDC, Hite and Collins have heard from agencies across the country looking for insights on how to launch similar programs in their own communities. 

One of those agencies was the San Diego Police Officers Association, which opened a child care center for its employees in 2024 through a public-private partnership with KinderCare.

The SDPOA Childcare Center also offers extended hours and is funded through a mix of grants and philanthropic support. Its rates are roughly half of what surrounding child care facilities charge, according to SDPOA President Jeremy Huff.

The SDPOA center was developed after a survey that found 21 percent of officers were considering leaving the department due to child care challenges and 59 percent had missed or left work because of them.

Huff said he believes the center has boosted morale and served as a valuable recruiting tool.

“When our officers have a safe space for their children, they can focus on being the best police officer possible and giving their best for the community they serve,” he said.

Could federal legislation clear the way for more first responder child care?

The San Diego initiative has also drawn attention to child care issues at the federal level.

Rep. Scott Peters, a California congressman and Ohio native, introduced the Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act last year, with the hope of replicating the SDPOA’s efforts across the country.

The bipartisan proposal would create a pilot grant program to help law enforcement agencies expand access to child care.

“In San Diego, we’ve already seen how a first-of-its-kind child care facility for law enforcement can make a real difference, but one successful model isn’t enough when officers across the country are still struggling to balance the demands of the job with raising a family,” Peters said.

Funds from the proposed program could be used to build or operate child care centers exclusively for law enforcement use, provide scholarships to offset the cost of care and support care for children with disabilities.

The bill also calls for reserving at least 20 percent of the total grant funding for small police departments employing fewer than 200 officers. 

Peters said the program is one that prioritizes public safety and transcends politics.

“Ensuring our communities are safe is not a Democrat or Republican issue. It’s common sense,” Peters said.

Peters’ bill was referred to two congressional committees last year, but has not been advanced to the floor for a vote. A companion bill was also introduced in the Senate and referred to committee in July.

The bill did gain momentum earlier this year with an endorsement from the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.

“Supporting the men and women who protect our communities means supporting their families as well,” said Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.

“Reliable, affordable child care is a practical and often overlooked barrier to recruiting and retaining experienced officers.” 

Despite the legislation stalling in Congress, Peters said he’s optimistic House leadership will move the bill forward.

“I see this center as proof that when we invest in practical, tailored solutions, we can strengthen both public safety and support working families,” he said.

From a dream to a day care

In 2009, the Erik Hite child care center and foundation were nothing more than a dream taking shape in Nohemy Hite’s mind as she sat on her living room floor and played with her 1-year-old daughter. 

“I was trying to find purpose with all this that had happened,” she said. 

Now, Hite said the center’s success is the result of years of persistence and community support.

“Trying to wait for the right people at the right time was hard, but I was able to do it through a lot of prayer and support,” she said. 

While the model has proven effective, it’s not easily replicated without similar levels of investment, coordination and buy-in. 

Still, for communities looking to support first responders — and the families behind them — child care is becoming an increasingly important piece of the conversation.

“I will not stop talking about what I believe is really a need for these families,” Hite said.

“What I have always tried to do with the foundation’s mission and vision is humanizing our public safety workers,” she added. “They are first and foremost humans just like the rest of us. This is just one small way to thank them for all their sacrifice.”