Venture Grantees

2007-08 Venture Grantees

Nine venture grants for innovative projects that link child care and economic development were recently awarded by the Linking Economic Development and Child Care Technical Assistance Project, a joint venture of Smart Start’s National Technical Assistance Center, the Alliance for Early Childhood Finance, Cornell University and the Institute for Women's Policy Research. Five of these were small venture grants to support the cost of research, planning, training or the preparation of a business plan. Four organizations received larger implementation grants to help fund implementation. An additional eleven projects were selected to participate as Learning Partners; these organizations will receive financial support to attend the national Venture Grant meeting as well as other opportunities for technical assistance. Funding for Venture Grants and Learning Partners was made possible by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

More information and a complete list of venture grantees

2006-07 Venture Grantees

Sixteen venture grants for innovative projects that link child care and economic development awarded in 2006. Fifteen of these were small venture grants ($5,000 each) to support the cost of research, planning, training or the preparation of a business plan. One organization received a larger implementation grant ($25,000) to help fund the cost of launching a new non-profit organization. Funding for these grants was made possible by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

Summary document with a complete list of venture grantees

Below is a list of grantees, with links to a profile that summarizes activities and lessons learned as well as any resource materials made available as part of the project.

• Financially Sustainable Child Care in Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky Child Care Coalition
• Incorporating Child Care Into Planning for a New Entertainment District, Halifax/Warren Smart Start Partnership for Children
• Business Development for Inner City Family Child Care Providers, Mission Economic Development Agency
• Accessing a New Tax Credit for Preschool, Women's Community Revitalization Project
• Integrating Child Care into Economic Development Planning, Public Assets Institute
• Exploring a Quasi-Public Employer Strategy for Child Care and Early Learning, Economic Opportunity Institute
• Local Land and Infrastructure Development in Suburban California, Orange County United Way
• A New Fiscal Intermediary Organization for the Non-Profit Sector, Agency Support Group
• An Early Care and Education Private Employer Organization (PEO), Wisconsin Early Childhood Association
• A Cost-Effective Management Model for Child Care Programs in Inner City Minneapolis, Resources for Child Caring
• Creating a Child Care Community Web, Durham's Partnership for Children WEB Proposal
• A New Trade Organization for Child Care Providers, Low Income Investment Fund
• A Cooperative Child Care Infrastructure in Rural Maine, Family Focus
• New Models for Shared Services, Small Business Development Center
• A Cooperative Child Care Center in Southwest Detroit, Southwest Counseling Solutions
• A New Center-Based Child Care Alliance in Seattle, Sound Child Care Solutions

Speakers Bureau

The Linking Economic Development and Child Care Technical Assistance Project has recently created a Speaker's Bureau. The goal of the Speaker's Bureau is to expand our capacity to educate policy makers, leaders in economic development and early care and education, academics, consumers and others about the links between childcare and economic development. Members of our Speakers Bureau have expertise in a wide range of topics, including, among others:

• Economic Impact and Research Data
• Land Use, Zoning and Economic Development Strategies
• Shared Service Strategies for the ECE Industry
• Child Care and Transportation Linkages
• Integrating Housing and Child Care
• Tax Credits for Families
• Engaging the Business Community

Current list of speakers and their areas of expertise:

• Philip Acord: Early Childhood Education and Pre K . Collective Management Models. Engaging the Business Community. Funding Early Childhood Education Programs in the Future
• Kristen Anderson: Local planning for child care; understanding the child care/early education system; linking child care with community and economic development; child care and transportation linkages; integrating housing and child care; local government roles in supporting child care development and operation
• Lauren Breen: tax credits for families that can be applied to child care tuition and tax issues that affect child care providers and employees.
• Lynette Chappell-Williams: Family Friendly Work Policies, Diversity in the Work Place
• Gerry Cobb: Early Childhood Systems Development
• Ellen Dektar: Economic impact of child care; child care, land use and economic development strategies and policies; child care and transportation planning
• Nam Douglass: Comprehensive economic development, economic development strategies, strategies for linking child care and economic development in areas such as business development and workforce development, and engaging the business community, efforts to link child care and economic development in North Carolina, community development as it pertains to integrating child care into economic development.
• Dana Friedman: economic development strategies, the early care and education industry, shared services/collective management of early care and education programs, engaging the business community, economic impact research and data
• Angie Garling: Linking Child Care and Transportation, Economic Impact Reports: Taking it to the Next Level, LINCC Basics: Child Care and Land Use, Zoning and Economic Development
• Barbara Gault: Economic development strategies, the early care and education industry, shared services/ collective management of early care and education programs, engaging the business community, economic impact research and data
• Sally Kahle: The Kansas economic impact study and subsequent use of the study; the early care and education industry in global term; State government role in framing child care as economic development
• Jean McPheeters: Engaging the business community, economic development strategies
• Ellen Pratt: Ways to “implement” child care economic impact studies. Ways to work with economic developers, planners and businesses to address child care from an economic development perspective.
• Jason Sabo: Early Childhood Policy; State Advocacy, Lobbying, and Political Strategy; Economic Development as an Advocacy Strategy; Philanthropy and Early Childhood (birth - pre-k)
• Laura Scott: Community Organizing, Working with Media and Volunteers, Working with Local Land Use Boards and Land Use Planning, Economic Impact Studies and Child Care Data, Economic Development Strategies and Policies
• Karen Shellenback: Engaging the business community, impact of demographics (and work/life issues) on the American workforce, child care and parent productivity metrics, ROI of corporate child care, energizing your human capital for organizational resiliency, workplace flexibility and work re-design, engaging GenX and younger workers–understanding and managing generational issues in the workforce,
• Anthony Solari: Engaging the business community. Economic Impact research. How to make the case for economic development to elected officials and policy makers.
• Louise Stoney: Economic development strategies, the early care and education industry, shared services/collective management of early care and education programs, engaging the business community, economic impact research and data, ECE policy and finance in general.
• Mildred Warner: Dr. Warner is an expert on economic development theory, policy and strategy, regional economic analysis and business, planning and policy models. She has lots of experience linking economic development and planning with child care issues.