As of this month, 11 more people who operate home-based early learning centers in Central Alabama are much more adept at running a successful business and providing high-quality, affordable childcare.
They’re the most recent graduates of the Advancing Alabama Childcare Accelerator (AACA), an eight-week program led by the Women’s Foundation of Alabama. The program is part of the Early Learning Acceleration Institute (ELAI), a network of nonprofits that also includes United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA), Childcare Resources and others.
The business owners received highly focused training by subject-matter experts and one-on-one coaching to help grow their businesses, operate more efficiently and retain high-quality staff. The 11 childcare providers represented the second cohort of the AACA. As home-based operations, these particular business owners have much lower start-up costs. They are also preferred by some families for their smaller scale and more personal attention.
Olivia Hayes, UWCA’s Bold Goals Partnership Coordinator, manages United Way’s involvement with ELAI. During the graduation event, Hayes said the accelerator has provided “invaluable knowledge and tools” to each of the program’s graduates.
On top of the professional development provided through the program, graduates could be selected to receive funding from UWCA, through ELAI’s Expansion Grant program. Eligible businesses are those looking to increase the number of children they can serve.
Katrina Watson, Senior Vice President of Community Impact at UWCA, said projects such as the AACA are critical steps on the road to improving childcare in Central Alabama.
“This cohort is yet another way for us to continue increasing the capacity of high-quality childcare in our region,” Watson said. “While ELAI has already focused on providing tools to childcare providers in one-on-one settings, this latest program is a way for us to expand our efforts to the newest members of our growing network of childcare providers.”
Following is the full list of cohort graduates:
- Angel Daycare
- Brighter Day Child Development Center
- C.A. Home Child Care
- Creative Imagination Academy
- First Steps Early Childcare
- JollyTime Academy
- Little Dove’s Childcare and Development Center
- The Little Lambs of God Childcare
- Little Legends Luv & Care Daycare
- Sunshine Kids Development Center
- Thomas Daycare
The AACA is the latest example of UWCA’s work addressing early childhood development and education. We continue to focus on increasing parents’ access to high-quality, affordable childcare in Central Alabama.