Free Training Available: Strengthening Business Practices for Child Care Programs

The National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assistance is collaborating with the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) to offer Strengthening Business Practices for Child Care Programs starting in October.

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The content and activities in the four modules being offered are designed to strengthen child care providers’ foundational knowledge of sound fiscal management and business operations.

The four modules of business practices content in the series include:

  • Budgets, Projections, and Planning

  • Financial Reports and Internal Controls

  • Marketing for Child Care Programs

  • Staff Recruitment and Retention for Center-Based Child Care Programs

There are two versions of the series - one for center-based providers and another for family child care providers.

Topics

During the fiscal management portion of the series - which focuses on budgets, projections, and planning - attendees will:

  • Learn a process for building a budget and how to use it for decision making throughout the year

  • Understand how to project business costs, generate additional income, and plan strategically for future goals

On the topics of financial reports and internal controls, the series will teach attendees how to:

  • Introduce financial reports that can help to better manage a program’s finances

  • Understand the concept of internal controls and how they can strengthen a program’s fiscal health

For the child care program marketing section of the series, attendees will learn to:

  • Be able to articulate the features and benefits of the program and understand how to use them as marketing tools

  • Appreciate how data can inform marketing efforts to achieve greater success, become more cost effective, and use time more efficiently

On the topics of staff recruitment and retention, participants will learn best practices related to recruiting, interviewing, and hiring new employees. It will also cover:

  • Having a framework for building and effective orientation plan for new employees and being familiar with the components of a staff handbook

  • Identifying strategies for providing feedback to employees

Modules

PQAS hours are available for those taking the course. Courses are offered in English and Spanish. 

Center-based modules include:

  • Budgets, Projections, and Planning; Monday, Nov. 4 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

  • Financial Reports and Internal Controls; Monday, Dec. 9 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

  • Marketing Your Program; Monday, Jan. 6 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

  • Recruiting and Retaining Staff; Monday, Feb. 3 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Family-based modules include:

  • Budgets, Projections, and Planning; Tuesday, Oct. 15 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

  • Financial Reports and Internal Controls; Tuesday, Oct. 29 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

  • Marketing Your Program; Monday, Nov. 4 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Spanish family-based modules include:

  • Budgets, Projections, and Planning; Saturday, Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to noon

  • Financial Reports and Internal Controls; Saturday, Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to noon

  • Marketing Your Program; Saturday, Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information on the series, visit the Pennsylvania Key’s website.

News, ProvidersNathan Dukeearly childhood learning, OCDEL, National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assistance, business practices for child care programs