Building Innovation for Equitable Child Care

• Solmar Learning Center Officially Open to the Public
• Groundbreaking Held for Project to Revitalize New Haven’s Dixwell Neighborhood
• What Affordable, 24-Hour Child Care Can Look Like
• Multi-million dollar housing project underway in Kalamazoo's northside neighborhood
• YWCA Opening New Women’s Housing and Resource Center in San Antonio
• After decades dealing with stigma, Friendship Court residents decide to rename their community

BIEC program activities include ongoing cohort participation in trainings, webinars, and peer networking meetings. Recorded sessions and corresponding resources are included below.

• 2021 - Designing Early Childhood Environments that Work
  In this inaugural convening, the LISC Child Care & Early Learning team provides a BIEC program overview as well as a deeper dive into design best practices and the importance of facilities in support accessible, high-performing child care infrastructure.
  • Session Slides
  • Resources:
    • Child Care Center Design Guide

• 2021 - Financing
  In this session, the LISC Child Care team with guest speakers from Children’s Investment Fund and Neighborworks Blackstone River Valley provide a child care facilities development and financing overview.
  • Session Recording
  • Session Slides
  • Resources:
    • Child Care Facilities Development & Financing Resource Guide
    • ABCs of Child Care Resource Guide

• 2022 - Partnerships
  In this session, project teams explore partnerships between child care providers and developers, specifically, the tenant and landlord relationship including partnership agreements, needs of child care providers as tenants, and lease negotiation.
  • Session Recording
  • Session Slides
  • Resources:
    • Child Care Design Guide
    • Rise Early Learning Design Plans
    • Session Handouts

• 2023 - Project Financing Assessment
  LISC surveyed participating projects to gather data on project type, timelines, funding sources, program challenges, and future considerations. The group convened to share learnings and discuss survey findings.
  • Session Recording
  • Session Slides
  • Resources:
    • Employer Engagement Roadmap
    • Child Care Specific Funding Sources
    • Asset Management for Child Care Co-location
    • BIEC Survey Results Analysis

• 2024 - Child Care As Infrastructure
  This in-person convening in Kansas City, MO, brought together over 50 participants representing diverse geographies and backgrounds to engage in an immersive experience of expert perspectives, essential information, peer learning, networking & inspiration. Topics covered included funding opportunities through a federal and local policy lens, strategic partnerships, and infrastructure supply building strategies.
  • Session recordings, presentations, and resources can be accessed on the event page here.

• 2025 - Designing Inclusive Child Care Spaces
  This webinar includes guest speakers from Ashely McGraw Architects and Orchid Montessori Center for Inclusive Education to discuss how we can use Universal Design for Learning principles to create inclusive and supportive early childhood environments. This session is one of a three-part series on designing and operating inclusive child care facilities.
  • Register here
  • Resources:
    • Introduction to the topic with Orchid Montessori and Autism Included
      • Presentation Slides
      • Recording

• 2025 - Co-Location Policy Recommendations
  This convening explores the “Community-Integrated Child Care Co-location – Foundations for Success” report, examining the foundational elements required for successful child care co-location projects, including strategies for effective implementation, a focus on best practices and opportunities, and recommendations for the supportive policies needed to fully realize the potential of community-integrated child care.
  • Register here