A program in Stanislaus County, California, is helping residents open licensed home-based child care businesses and creating hundreds of new child care slots.
In an article from NACo, Stanislaus County partnered with Nurture, a nonprofit that helps launch home child-care businesses to develop a new project. The In-Home Child Care Expansion Project is a 12-week training program developed by the county where participants learn core business skills, like budgeting, recordkeeping, marketing, and parent communication. Additionally, hands-on coaching is provided in weekly virtual cohort sessions. Each graduate also receives a $2,500 grant to help get their business off the ground.
The program is helping residents open more licensed home-based child care businesses. The lack of child care availability is a problem across the nation. From the article:
It costs money to get licensed—you have to buy equipment, you need basic supplies—and the people we’re working with often say, ‘I can’t even afford the $35 orientation fee,’ said Jennifer Brooks, executive director of Nurture.
The project is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and is part of the broader “Stanislaus 2030” economic development plan. So far, the effort has helped launch hundreds of child care businesses and added over 500 licensed slots countywide. Leaders used data to identify child care deserts and focus outreach in areas with the highest need. They also shifted from online advertising to word-of-mouth and in-person outreach to better connect with non-English-speaking families and potential providers.
Neighboring San Joaquin County is now replicating the model with its own ARPA investment. Advocates say the program is filling a critical workforce need. Before the project, only 17% of working parents in Stanislaus County had access to licensed care. County data shows that 36,000 additional child care slots are needed to meet demand.
“For low-income people, [that funding] is essential for opening their door,” Brooks said. “It costs money to get licensed — you have to buy equipment, you need to have some basic supplies, and the people that we’re working with are often like, ‘I can’t do this right now, because I don’t have the $35 to pay for the orientation that I’m required to take,’ and those are the people we’re targeting, so this start-up money is critical.”
