Supporting Business Development for Child Care Providers: A BDO Playbook
Overview
This playbook is intended to help business development organizations (BDOs), community navigators, partners, stakeholders, and funders understand the child care industry, the ongoing challenges child care programs face today, and how to help providers become more stable and financially sustainable. This toolkit offers organizations an opportunity to engage with partners and consider ways to effectively work together within regions and local communities to respond to the needs of child care providers.
This toolkit was derived from LISC’s partnership with the Small Business Administration through the Community Navigators Pilot Program. Thanks to efforts initiated by the Community Navigator Pilot Program, we have ensured this resource continues to support underserved entrepreneurs in the child care industry. LISC’s Economic Development and Child Care and Early Learning teams partnered to leverage shared expertise, bringing this toolkit to partners across the country
Introduction
This playbook is intended to help business development organizations (BDO), community navigators, partners, stakeholders, and funders understand the child care industry, the ongoing challenges child care programs face today, and how to help providers become more stable and financially sustainable.
While child care is in some ways a business like any other, there are many aspects of child care businesses that are very specialized and specific to the industry. Our goal is to remove barriers and bias towards child care providers due to a lack of industry knowledge and bolster a better understanding and content of how organizations and individuals may work together to achieve a common goal of supporting high-quality child care within communities.
Even without specific child care knowledge, BDOs are well positioned to help child care providers. Providers need support with basic skills like marketing and financial management. BDOs can offer help with these topics and while also connecting providers to child care experts in their market, such as Child Care Resource & Referral Organizations.
This resource includes background information about the child care industry, a discussion of specific challenges providers and owners face, and best-practice solutions to address those challenges. It also includes lists of general and state-specific resources in the appendix.
Supporting Business Development for Child Care Providers was prepared by Susan Fitter Harris Consulting, LLC and LISC Economic Development. LISC wishes to thank Quality Care for Children and LISC’s National Child Care and Early Learning team for their contributions to this resource.
