So far 2025 has been a year of change—sometimes unexpected, always fast-moving— but with change comes opportunity. While challenges arise, so do innovation, resilience, and new solutions.
In this newsletter, we’re celebrating the creative solutions that are making a difference— providers and communities finding new ways to succeed, a state office marking 2 years of impactful support, and the launch of FCF’s first-ever Annual Report!
No matter how the world changes, one thing remains true: Children deserve the best care, and the people who make that possible are nothing short of extraordinary. Together, we are building a stronger, more sustainable future—one where every child has the opportunity to thrive
Recent News
National Consulting Team Completes 2-Year Dream Up! Project in Wisconsin
In 2022, the First Children’s Finance National Consulting Team began working with the state of Wisconsin as part of the Project Growth initiative known as “Dream Up!.”
Sauk Prairie (WI) Area Building $5.2M Child Care Center
Tywana German, Executive Director of the Sauk Prairie (WI) Area Chamber of Commerce, is straight-forward about the impact the Sauk Prairie Early Learning Center will have on the communities she supports.
FCF’s 2024 Annual Report Offers an Overview of Our Work
We are pleased to share First Children’s Finance’s 2024 Annual Report – the first in our organization’s history!
Community Storm Lake, IA, Works with FCF Staff to Create a Vision for the City’s Child Care Future
Storm Lake, Iowa, leaders knew the growing city lacked enough child care. The city had been identified as being in a “child care desert,” meaning there were more than three children under the age of five in the community for every available child care slot.
JP Morgan Chase Foundation Awards $500,000 for Training in Detroit Area
JPMorgan Chase Foundation has awarded a $500,000 grant to First Children’s Finance to support Childcare Sector Scale & Technical Assistance Programming in the Detroit, MI, area. The grant continues through October 2027.
Minneapolis Child Care Center Owner Wants to Make a Difference
Said Nur understands the challenges that families new to the United States can face. Many of the challenges are the same ones that he faced nearly 30 years ago.
FCF National Systems Team Partners to Study Effects of American Rescue Plan Act
Throughout 2024, members of the National Systems team partnered with the National Children’s Facilities Network to tell the story of how the American Rescue Plan Act impacted child care facilities.
FCF's Vermont Office Celebrates Second Anniversary!
First Children’s Finance Vermont just celebrated its second anniversary. As both a new division of FCF and a new organization in Vermont, FCF VT has established itself through the team's dedication and expertise and our innovative initiatives to engage communities and clients.
In the Vermont office’s first two years:
- 12 child care entrepreneurs wrote business plans as part of the Business Planning Cohort
- 15 potential capital facility projects received planning grants, including this one in Pittsford, Vermont, population 2,884
- 91 startup or expansion projects received $2,500,000 (so far), resulting in more than 750 new spaces (and counting)
- 254 people follow the Facebook account for FAQ Fridays, contests, and success stories
- 1,000+ members are part of SharedServicesVT, a platform for national and local child care resources
- 1,750 people subscribe to our mailing list, where our newsletter features a riddle of the month
- Half of 1,000 regulated child care businesses in Vermont engaged with us through trainings, workshops, emails, conferences, financial analysis, and phone calls.
We’d like to think these accomplishments resulted from the staff's hard work, but public investment through Act 76 (enacted June 2023) has made so much of our achievements possible. Act 76 increased state financial assistance funding and eligibility so child care business owners have reason to be optimistic and families may be able to find and afford child care that meets their needs.
