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October 16, 2025

Thought Leadership

Strengthening the Workforce: Bringing the Business Owners’ Voice to NASLEE

By Abigail Sylvester, Chief Program Officer, First Children’s Finance At the NASLEE Roundtable in Pittsburgh, I sat alongside national experts for...

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...

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! Annual reports are...

December 4, 2024

FCF National Consulting Team Works with Wisconsin for Business Training

In 2022, First Children’s Finance (FCF) partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families to support Project Growth’s Dream Up!...

December 4, 2024

Minnesota Communities Celebrate Success Through FCF Rural Program

An important part of hard work is celebrating success when the work is done or nearing the finish line. On September...

December 4, 2024

First Children’s Finance Awards $50,000 Grant to Craftsbury Saplings

First Children’s Finance VT (FCF) is pleased to announce the first recipients of the Vermont Planning Grant Project, a program designed...

December 4, 2024

Floodwood (MN) Responds to Child Care Crisis Though Partnerships

When three of the four family child care providers in the Floodwood, MN, area closed down within a year, the community...

November 25, 2024

First Children’s Finance Appoints Heidi Hagel-Braid as New CEO

[Minneapolis, MN] – First Children’s Finance (FCF) is proud to announce the appointment of Heidi Hagel-Braid as its new President and...

August 29, 2024

Loan Fund staff sees the “fire” in Detroit-area child care business owner

After starting an in-home child care business in 2015, Yolanda Massey knew that she had to find a way to serve...

August 29, 2024

FCF Michigan Helps Owner Find a “Solution That Works for Us”

Kim Jarvis always wanted to make a positive impact on kids in her Dayton, OH, community but starting a child care...

August 29, 2024

FCF Helps Alaska Manage Loss of Providers Post-Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many of the difficulties already present in the State of Alaska’s child care systems. the State of...

August 29, 2024

10 Tribal Nations Gather at FCF Collaboratory to Share, Learn, and Plan

Data shows Tribal Nations are experiencing a child care crisis impacting the health and success of all aspects of Tribal Nations....

FCF Founder Jerry Cutts to Retire as President and CEO

FCF Founder Jerry Cutts to Retire as President and CEO First Children’s Finance President and CEO Jerry Cutts – who has...

Act 76 Creates a Brighter Future for Child Care in Vermont

Act 76 Creates a Brighter Future for Child Care in Vermont In 2023, just months after First Children’s Finance established its...

FCF Loan Fund Helps Michigan Center Open its Doors

FCF Loan Fund Helps Michigan Center Open its Doors Alexus Yancey-Duncan was preparing to open the doors on her child care...

First Children’s Finance Opens Round 7 of the Minnesota Revitalization Grant May 12

We are pleased to announce that Round 7 of the Minnesota Revitalization Grant opens at 9:00 a.m. on Friday May 12,...

FCF Michigan Announces RCCIP Communities

FCF -Michigan is pleased to announce the selection of communities into the second round of the Rural Child Care Innovation Program...

Hormel Foods to Develop Child Care Center as Result of FCF’s Rural Programs

As a result of the Rural Child Care Innovation Program (RCCIP), Hormel Foods has started designing a new community child care...

February 21, 2023

Minnesota town saves daycare center from closing amid child care crisis

More than half of Americans struggle to find available and affordable childcare, but one small Minnesota town found a solution that...

November 21, 2022

First Children Finance’s 2022 ECE Collaboratory Convening

In September, First Children’s Finance hosted an in-person convening of the ECE Business Collaboratory. The Collaboratory brought together three cohorts of...

November 21, 2022

How Indigenous Communities Are Building the Supply of Child Care

First Children’s Finance is partnering with native nations and tribal communities to address their shortages of child care. FCF partnered...

November 9, 2022

RCCIP Application Window Open in Michigan 2022

First Children’s Finance is seeking applications for its Rural Child Care Innovation Program (RCCIP) in Michigan. 6 rural Michigan communities will...

FCF Announces Two New States Joining The ECE Business Collabratory

First Children’s Finance is proud to announce the addition of two new states to the ECE Business Collaboratory: Hawaii and Maine....

Fond du Lac Band Discusses Tribal Child Care

FCF and Fond du Lac Band Discusses Child Care Needs In June and July 2022, First Children’s Finance spent multiple days...

FCF Helps IA Registered Home Child Care Providers Access Federal Funding

As part of the American Rescue Plan Act, the Iowa Department of Human Services received $200 million to provide Child Care...

Business & Financial Fundamentals© for 2022 Fall Schedule Now Available

Calling all Iowa child care businesses! First Children’s Finance has opened registration for the Business & Financial Fundamentals© program. The...

Minnesota Facility Revitalization Grants Results

The First Children’s Finance Minnesota Team is pleased to announce the results from our first round of grants for the...

Child Care Facility Revitalization Grants have launched!

First Children’s Finance is pleased to announce our new Child Care Facility Revitalization Grants program, made possible by funding from the...

FCF and Iowa Jefferson Keokuk ECI Help Registered Home Providers

As a result of the American Rescue Plan, Iowa received $200 million to provide Child Care Stabilization Grants to current licensed...

FCF Announces Michigan RCCIP Communities

First Children’s Finance – Michigan Team is pleased to announce the selection of communities into the Rural Child Care Innovation Program. The...

January 28, 2022

FCF Announces Wisconsin Partnership

First Children’s Finance and Wisconsin Department of Children and Families Establish Partnership to Build Child Care Supply First Children’s Finance,...

October 6, 2021

RCCIP Application Window Open in Michigan

First Children’s Finance is seeking applications for its Rural Child Care Innovation Program (RCCIP) in Michigan. 6 rural Michigan communities will...

September 27, 2021

FCF Selects 3 New Communities to RCCIP

First Children’s Finance – Minnesota Team is pleased to announce the selection of communities into the Rural Child Care Innovation Program....

September 27, 2021

New States Join ECE Business Collaboratory

First Children’s Finance is proud to announce the addition of two new states to the ECE Business Collaboratory: Louisiana and Washington,...

August 24, 2021

New Staff Join MN Team

First Children’s Finance announced today that seven new Business Development Specialists have been added to its growing Minnesota team. All seven...

FCF Names Ericka Warmack as Director of National Lending

First Children’s Finance announced today that Ericka Warmack, CPA, SSGB, has been named as the Director of National Lending. As the Director...

FCF Presents to ELEVATE conference

The First Children’s Finance National Team was invited to present a session for the 2021 Nebraska ELEVATE conference which will be...

FCF Announces Staff Promotions

First Children’s Finance is excited to announce the promotion of several staff members to new roles within the organization. FCF is...

Minnesota Small Business Development Centers Partner with FCF

Under a partnership agreement announced today, First Children’s Finance will operate as the first statewide satellite center in the Minnesota Small...

FCF Hosts National Webinar for EIDL and PPP Loan Applications

In January 2021, First Children’s Finance, in collaboration with the DHHS Administration for Children and Families, and the Office of Child...

January 1, 2021

Iowa Growth Fund Graduates

First Children’s Finance is pleased to recognize seven Scott County child care and preschool centers that completed the Growth Fund Program...