Bay City Child Care Advisory Board is helping expand capacity at child care facilities
The Bay City Child Care Advisory Board, convened by the Michigan Health Improvement Alliance with funding from Bay City’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, has announced a grant program for child care providers in Bay City to help expand capacity and open more child care slots within the city limits.
The grant opportunity is a replication of a program developed by the Northeast Michigan Council of Governments (NEMCOG) Childcare Coalition, which ran a successful program in its region and is now piloting it in Bay City. Funds are available through an application process to offer assistance to child care business owners to either start or expand the capacity at their business.
“Most child care businesses start with a passion for helping families and friends,” says Heather Bauman, director of advocacy for community impact for the Michigan Health Improvement Alliance and coordinator of the Bay City Child Care Advisory Board. “The grants we’re offering will allow these small businesses to help meet the needs of the community by increasing the available child care slots within the city of Bay City.”
Child care providers and those wanting to start their own child care business can apply for $1,000 per slot created with a max of $6,000 per home or center. Eligible activities include application and permit fees, equipment, facility safety updates and fire inspections.
You can find the pre-application link here. The application closes on Sept. 30, 2024.
The advisory board also recently approved of another initiative designed to help two child care centers complete a business analysis of their current operations by partnering with Molitor International, a consulting firm that specializes in Lean methodologies and performance improvement. Lean methodology is a systematic approach to improving an organization’s efficiency and effectiveness by optimizing resources and emphasizing continuous improvement.
Steven Molitor, executive associate of Molitor International, will be consulting with both centers to educate them on the fundamental concepts of Lean and help them identify and track key performance indicators such as profit and loss, capacity, profit margins and staffing ratios.
“While Lean and performance improvement methodology has been successfully implemented across a variety of fields, the child care industry has been largely overlooked,” says Molitor, adding that child care professionals are often driven by a passion for service and helping others that can result in aspects of daily operations being deprioritized. “By integrating Lean principles into their daily operations, child care centers will not only improve their operational efficiency, but also ensure long-term, sustained success.”
Little Explorers Learning Center and Immanuel Lutheran Preschool and Learning Center were awarded the opportunity to work with Molitor International after completing an application process, with the end goal of enhancing both the capacity and quality of care provided to the community.
“Starting a child care business comes with several challenges and a small or non-existent profit margin,” states Bauman. “Helping centers run the business side of child care is crucial for sustainability and growth, and this partnership with Molitor will ensure these centers have the opportunity to get business training and optimization recommendations that will allow them to have the funds to continue and expand.”
Funding for both opportunities comes from a $750,000 grant from Bay City’s ARPA allocation and managed by the Michigan Health Improvement Alliance. The purpose of the grant is to address the city’s systemic barriers to child care.
The child care advisory board includes representatives from child care providers, local businesses, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, local school districts, non-profit organizations and the community.
If you are interested in joining this initiative, or for more information on the grants, contact Heather Bauman at [email protected].