Have you ever considered starting a daycare? Perhaps you have young children at home, enjoy caring for kids, and would welcome additional income. Or perhaps you already own a childcare business, and are looking to improve your operations. Or maybe you’ve reviewed the requirements to start a regulated childcare facility and didn’t clearly see a return on your investment to get through the process.
We have resources for you!
In past columns, you’ve read about the importance of childcare for our Green County workforce — without dependable daycare, employees can’t work. You’ve also read about the importance of quality childcare for early brain development in young children. Unfortunately, Green County is considered a childcare desert with only one childcare spot available for every three young children.
Green County Development Corporation is ready to tackle part of this issue: childcare availability. We’ve banded together with many organizations to help entrepreneurs start or grow their childcare businesses. Partners in this effort include: United Way of Green County, Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA), Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Southwest Community Action Program (SWCAP), Extension Green County, MultiCultural Outreach Program (MCOP), Community Coordinated Child Care (4-C), and Blackhawk Technical College (BTC).
Our collective goal is to improve the quantity and quality of childcare in Green County. To that end, we have two exciting programs on tap to help our existing childcare businesses be stronger and assist entrepreneurs to enter the childcare industry and start their own daycare here in Green County.
Childcare Boot Camp Begins March 2.
It starts with eight weeks of once-a-week classes to provide a solid foundation in all aspects of running a childcare business. These virtual classes (available in Spanish) will be held Tuesday evenings at 6:30 pm, starting March 2. Classes are free.
One-on-one planning with professional business consultants and networking with presenters and classmates will be an important part of these sessions. By the conclusion of the course, participants will have a viable business plan and the essential business skills needed for the future.
For entrepreneurs who haven’t worked in the childcare industry, we are also providing a full day of Safety Saturday classes.
Safety Saturday Held May 1
● The Safety Saturday workshop will provide education needed for a person to work in a childcare facility. Training will include:
● First Aid
● Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training (CPR)
● Training on Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect
● Training on Preventing Abusive Head Trauma
Childcare Bootcamp plus Safety Saturday (plus one-on-one business coaching) will get an entrepreneur a long way toward their childcare license. To earn their license, they will also need technical college credits, a background check and health screening. We will help you throughout this process.
Space in these classes is limited. If space is available, participants from counties neighboring Green County will be offered an opportunity to participate. Sign up now at https://greencountyedc.com/ or call 608.328.9452.
— Cara Carper is executive director at Green County Development Corporation. She can be reached at cara.gcdc@tds.net.
