Last month, I ran a 5k race in my town. I’m not a great runner and I’m not particularly fast, but I like to get out and support my community. This year, I thought I am a little fitter and a little more focused than previous years and I will give it a great effort. Fast forward to the finish and I am embarrassed to say that when I saw my time was slower than last year, I deflated and walked the last few steps.
I’m disappointed in myself for giving up. As I reflected on my race, I thought about how whenever there was someone along the route cheering me on, it kept me going even if I didn’t want to. And I wondered – if someone had cheered me on at the finish line, really urged me to keep going, would that have made the difference? I guess I have to wait until next year to find out.
In the meantime, if you are exhausted and not sure how you will get to the finish line of your annual budget or your parent newsletter or your employee handbook, let us help you finish that race and be proud of your accomplishment.
Reach out to us at infovt@firstchildrenfinance.org
-Erin Roche, Vermont Director, First Children's Finance
Need Access to Capital?
Make Way for Kids Infant/Toddler grant applications are available for anyone thinking of expanding their child care. We are fortunate to be able to provide financial support to programs who want to do more for their community, whether that is being able to maintain capacity, expand to increase capacity or start a whole new program!
If you need more flexible capital than the Infant/Toddler grants, there are loan funds available. First Children’s Finance and the Vermont Community Loan Fund can help.
First Children’s Finance Loan Fund is a national nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), and there are loans available in Vermont. For more information, see the business loan inquiry site.
If you have questions about access to capital for your child care business or about upcoming grant opportunities, reach out to:
Business Sustainability
We are so excited to offer professional development opportunities this fall for both Child Care Center Directors and Family Child Care Home Providers. Read on to find out about all our free offerings!
Business Leadership Cohort for Child Care Centers provides center directors and other program leaders with the opportunity to learn about the basics of business related to their child care program. Learn more here.
On October 8, First Children’s Finance will host a webinar to learn more about Vermont Health Connect. Vermont Health Connect is the State’s health insurance marketplace, and this webinar is a chance to learn about the insurance plans and qualifications. Join us to see if VHC might benefit your program. For PD credit, register here and learn more about Vermont Health Connect.
On October 29, join First Children’s Finance and Licensors from Department for Children and Families for an engaging Q&A panel. Whether you’re seeking clarity, have specific questions, or want to better understand the process, this is your chance to get answers straight from a Vermont Licensing Professional. For PD credit, register here. If you have questions for the panel, you can email them to infovt@firstchildrensfinance.org.
Additional Professional Development Opportunities
- Quality Staffing | October 7
- Board Governance for Child Care Centers | October 8
- Leveraging Technology for Child Care Businesses | November 6
- Planning for the Future: Annual Budget and Cash Flow Projections for Family Child Care Home Providers | December 3
- Separating your Family Child Care Finances from your Personal Finances | December 11
Questions about how FCF VT can help your business? Reach out to infovt@firstchildrensfinance.org or watch this fun video about FCF in VT.
From Our Partners!
October 22, VTAEYC Conference Leadership Day, is a special day designed for ECE directors, administrators, FCCH owners and anyone in a leadership role. Gain practical tools, connect with peers and be inspired. The day will feature keynote speakers and four engaging workshops on topics from organizational culture to coaching.
There is still time to apply for the CDD Quality and Capacity Incentive Payment program. Eligible programs can receive per-child payments, plus bonus funding for serving infants and toddlers, offering extended or year-round hours, and other quality measures. You decide how to use the funds to make the greatest impact for your program and the families you serve! Apply here
Vermont Business for Social Responsibility Workplace Wellbeing Series
- Continues on Wednesday, September 17
- Session 2: Aligning People & Purpose: HR Assessments for Strategic Growth
- Organizational leaders assess effectiveness of their HR, Operations and Administrative function
- Register and learn more
Extra, Extra!
In partnership with VTAEYC and SPARQS, SharedServicesVT has some new resources for you!
Resource of the month: Curriculum Support
- Lesson plan templates, Literacy Resources, Developmental Resources, Vermont Early Learning Standards. Have an account? Find them here!
SharedServicesVT is your resource HUB for all things child care and ECE. You need a membership, but it’s free!
FCF News!
Crisp fall September. Renewed energy after a fun filled and relaxing summer! At FCF, our favorite thing about fall is when we are ready to support you with another year of opportunities and growth.
First Children’s Finance had the opportunity to visit multiple programs this month that are making a big impact in their communities. Desiree Vatter innovatively created a space for children that is both unique and inspiring-a Yurt!
We love to spend time with directors and ECE leaders, and in the spirit of fall, we asked a few of you what you love about the end of summer and early fall, maybe you agree:
- “My favorite thing about this time of the year is that it is almost fall. Once school starts I know it is fair week and from there that's when all the fun starts. Everyone enjoys different things but I enjoy the cooler temps, the changing leaves, being able to bring out the sweatshirts, apple picking, doing many outdoor events and the festive atmosphere. Bring on fall!”
- “My favorite thing about this time of year is the energy. There's been a break to prepare for the year ahead. An opportunity to rest and get things in order for the coming year at a relaxed pace.”
- “The longer days, the stunning sunsets, farmers markets, outdoor concerts, going to the beach and spending time with family and friends.”
We hope this time of transition from summer to fall brings joy, fresh energy to your classrooms and meaningful moments with the children and families you serve.
The Growing Tree, a new child care and preschool in Addison, has officially opened its doors thanks to the vision of longtime early educator Michelle Bishop. After 27 years in the field, Bishop launched the program to meet the needs of local families— and with support from First Children’s Finance’s Make Way for Kids grant, plus advising and coaching, her dream became reality. The Growing Tree is now serving children ages 32 months to 5 years and has space to grow, offering families in the Vergennes area much-needed child care. Read the full article here.
What Would Licensing Say?
Last but not least, we are back with the fourth installment of “What would Licensing Say?” featuring our very own deb Grennon, Business Development Specialist. deb has something very special in store for you all, learn a bit about her and enjoy her staff intro video below!
It's Riddle Time!
You made it to the end! Now, it’s time for the FCF monthly challenge:
We had a great batch of entries for our last riddle! The question: What kind of band never plays music? A rubber band! There was a bit of controversy with this answer because as any ECE professional knows, rubber bands can make music if you’re creative enough! The even better answer? A Band-Aid! Thanks for playing along, everyone. Our fastest solver-who submitted both answers was Beth Workman. Yay, Beth!
Here is this month’s riddle: What goes up but never comes down?
First person to reach out to infovt@firstchildrensfinance.org with the correct answer will win a prize!
Find Where You Need to Go!
The Vermont Business and Technical Assistance Program (BTAP) provides expert business training, technical assistance and consulting to help start, sustain, and grow child care businesses. The BTAP is made possible through a grant to FCF by the Vermont Agency of Human Services, Department for Children and Families, Child Development Division.