Overview
WECA has long been a leader driving bold change in early care and education in Wisconsin with a focus on service to the early education workforce. As the importance of early childhood education and care increases, WECA's advocacy activities have evolved to support early childhood professionals as well as families, businesses and communities.
Boost Your Business Skills
Whether you are starting a new child care or have been running one for a while, Build It Strong: Child Care Business Foundations Training is focused on providing the essential skills and proven strategies to make your program sustainable.
What Is Covered: Each interactive session explores key elements of successful child care business management topics.
- The Iron Triangle of Child Care Finance
- Business Operations Part One
- Business Operations Part Two
- Engaging Outside Services
- Accounting and Recordkeeping
- Identifying and Prioritizing Funding
- Setting-Specific Considerations for Group and Family Child Care Programs
- Professionalism in Early Childhood
- Certification, Pre-Licensing, and Licensing
For more information, please read the detailed flyer here.
Impact
Recent participants reported a nearly 100% increase in overall knowledge of best practices, including:
- using an accurate budget
- understanding common licensing violations
- attracting and retaining staff
- using legally binding contracts and enforceable family policies
- accessing other funding sources beyond tuition, and more!
Why It Matters
From an economic development perspective, bringing Build It Strong to your community is good for business. High-quality early care and education is essential for the development of young children and makes it possible for parents to work and contribute to healthy communities. Improving the sustainability of child care programs supports the workforce that keeps the rest of the economy moving forward.
Municipalities: Build It Strong was developed by WECA’s Wisconsin Early Education Shared Services Network (WEESSN) co-directors, edited by Opportunities Exchange, a national organization focused on transforming the business of early care and education, and refined by feedback from current child care program owners to ensure optimal support to navigate the unique challenges of this sector. To learn more about how to offer Build It Strong in your community, please contact WEESSN Co-Director Kelly Matthews at kmatthews@wisconsinearlychildhood.org.
The series earns Wisconsin Registry credit.
If you have questions about Build It Strong, please contact us at BuildItStrong@wisconsinearlychildhood.org.
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