Resources-ECE – Family Child C.A.R.E NYC

Marketing Plan – Template

Staffing Template

Recruitment Plan Template

Staff Orientation Checklist

Sample Family Feedback Survey

Sample Staff Feedback Survey

Civitas Strategies Answers to the Questions from Tax Webinar for Child Care Providers

FAQ – Tax Webinar

Articles

‘A huge disruptor’: 60-day shelter limits for migrant families hurt NYC preschools

Chalkbeat | By Michael Elsen-Rooney | May 29, 2024

This piece focuses on the consequences a rule that limits shelter stays for migrant families to 60 days — a policy that is having a significant effect on preschool children and the providers that serve them.

As NYC preschool offers release, some families are left without a 3-K seat.

Chalkbeat | By Julian Shen-Berro | May 16, 2024

Mayor Eric Adams has repeatedly said that any family that wants a preschool seat for their 3-year-old will have access to one, even as he ordered budget cuts to the city’s preschool system. But as 3-K offers were released in May, some families said they were left without a preschool option.

Preschool funding, school food, and other key education issues take center stage at budget hearing

Chalkbeat | By Julian Shen-Berro | May 15, 2024

Education Department officials were in the City Council hot seat Wednesday for a hearing on the agency’s executive budget, which would decrease spending by roughly $1 billion next year thanks to the expiration of one-time federal aid. Officials talked about potential impacts on early childhood education, school cafeteria menus, and other key programs.

‘Day Without Child Care’ march in Manhattan sees advocates urge Hochul for greater program funding

amNY | By Barbara Russo-Lennon | May 13, 2024

Nearly 100 advocates for government-funded child care programs marched to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Manhattan office on Monday to shed light on the lack of funding for such services in NYC. The march was organized and led by ECE On The Move and the Empire State Child Care Campaign.

Addressing the broken child care system with impact investments

Impact Alpha | By Essma Bengabsia | April 25, 2024

Inaccessible and unaffordable for too many Americans, the current child care system deprives children of nurturing care and prevents parents from earning money to meet basic needs. This article is part of a partnership between ImpactAlpha and Mission Investors Exchange (MIE) discussing how impact investments can help repair the child care system.

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Child Care, Early Learning and Semiconductor Industry: Ready to Be in the CHIPS (Act)

Semiconductor Digest | By Angie Garling and Erica Phillips | October 2023

The CHIPS Act is a recent federal mandate that all in the semiconductor industry applying for more than $150 million in direct government funding must offer their workers one of three options: on-site child care; subsidized center-based child care; or subsidized home-based child care. LIIF’s Angie Garling and the National Association of Family Child Care’s Erica Phillips discuss how the semiconductor industry and other employers should partner with CDFIs and child care associations to be a part of the solution and to best meet these federal mandates.

Little kids need outdoor play — but not when it’s 110 degrees

KQED | By Anya Kimenetz | Oct 18, 2023

Leaders in the world of early childhood development are starting to call attention to the imperative to design and upgrade child care centers — and the cities where they are located — for our climate-altered world, with the needs of the youngest in mind.

One state (VT) just became a national leader on child care. Here's how they did it.

Vox | By Rachel M. Cohen | May 22, 2023

Vermont lawmakers approved an ambitious plan that would pour tens of millions of new dollars into the state’s starved child care system.

When the Waters Rise on Child Care Programs

Early Learning Nation | By Elliot Haspel | May 2, 2023

This opinion piece discusses LIIF’s report titled, “Flood Risks in New York City’s Child Care System: Using Spatial Analysis to Identify Water Vulnerabilities in Family Child Care Homes.” With a level of sophistication never before seen applied to early childhood settings when it comes to environmental issues, LIIF connected New York City’s robust child care licensing data with projected risks of floods and sea level rise.

Blogs

LIIF and the Community Hold Ribbon-Cutting to Celebrate the Latest Milestone of the San Francisco Children and Nature Program

The White House | Biden-Harris Administration | April 17, 2024

This blog focuses on child care specifically, highlighting seven reasons the economics of child care necessitate policy interventions like those enacted and proposed by the Biden-Harris administration to make high-quality, affordable care available to more working families.

Seven Facts About the Economics of Child Care

LIIF | By Early Care & Education Team | May 7, 2024

ECE facilities are now having their outdoor spaces reimagined, with parks being brought to our kids rather than the opposite. This blog details how LIIF has been heavily involved in this greening effort led by San Francisco Children and Nature and the partnership with the Department of Early Childhood and San Francisco Recreation and Parks.

NEPAC's Impact in the Early Care and Education Sector: Part 1, New York City

LIIF | By LIIF Early Care & Education Team | Feb 16, 2024

In August 2022, LIIF launched a National Early Care and Education Practitioners Advisory Committee (NEPAC) as part of its efforts to center the voices of providers. The group comprises leaders in the ECE field who have successfully used LIIF grant funds in the past. This blog highlights NEPAC’s New York City members, so you can learn about them, their capstone projects, and their vision for their community.

The Physical and Human Infrastructure of the Child Care Sector is Not an Either-Or Proposition

LIIF | By Makenzi Sumners and Shelly Masur | February 12, 2024

While many sectors are recovering from the impacts of the pandemic, the early care and education (ECE) industry is being left behind. Despite evidence of job growth and consumer confidence, many families feel like economic security remains out of reach. One of the largest expenditures for families is child care; however, the ECE crisis has made child care inaccessible and unaffordable for far-too-many families across the country. At the root of this crisis is the lack of investment in the care infrastructure – both workforce and facilities. Read more in the blog.

GAP Community Child Development Center: LIIF Creating Power, Access and Agency

LIIF | By LIIF Early Care & Education Team | January 31, 2024

A quick glance inside just one of the classrooms at GAP Community Child Development Center showcases families from around the globe. While some were born in the U.S. — and even in GAP’s Petworth community — many emigrated from countries such as Mexico, Nigeria and El Salvador. This local community resource is a true reflection of the multicultural community that comprises our nation’s capital.

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As Our Kids’ Protectors, It's Our Obligation to Mitigate Climate Emergencies for the Child Care Sector

LIIF | By Angie Garling | July 18, 2023

LIIF’s Vice President of Early Care & Education, Angie Garling, reflects on the complex choices she had to consider to support the continuing education of her two daughters during major disruptions: the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires ravaging the West, and skies full of noxious smoke. She emphasizes the need for climate-emergency mitigation in the ECE sector and shares some suggestions for short term solutions.

Flood Risks in New York City’s Child Care System

LIIF | Written by Joe Fretwell, Isabelle Donohoe and Amy Shea | April 5, 2023

In a new report and interactive mapping tool, LIIF finds that Family Child Care (FCC) providers – who offer licensed, quality care and education to thousands of young children in New York City – face unique risks from rising seas and intensifying flooding and rainfall. Read the executive summary in this blog post.

A Collection of Stories, Best Practices and Recommendations to Co-Locate Child Care with Affordable Housing

LIIF | By LIIF Early Care & Education Team | December 5, 2022

Family-centered design is LIIF’s approach to a holistic development strategy that prioritizes resident outcomes; it builds family access and opportunity into all levels of the decision-making process. A growing focus for our organization is co-locating early care and education (ECE) facilities with affordable housing developments. We have curated a roundup of relevant content to help stakeholders looking for more information on designing, financing, and developing child care programs co-located with affordable housing.

How Co-Location Strategies Support High-Quality Child Care and Strong Communities

LIIF | By Marnagee Scott | November 3, 2021

LIIF published a series of blogs exploring the benefits and challenges of co-locating ECE facilities with affordable housing and highlighted potential policy solutions to support these projects. They feature interviews with ECE providers who operate child care programs in co-located spaces. This blog connects with operators who detail how the holistic community development approach expands child care access for families with limited wealth and generates broader community benefits like creating jobs and fostering collaborative and supportive local communities.

Why Early Care and Education is Foundational to Advancing Racial and Gender Equity

LIIF | By Amy Shea | June 12, 2020

The ECE landscape has been shaped by centuries of racial and gender discrimination via policy, programs and cultural norms. Caring for and teaching babies, toddlers and preschoolers is work whose legacy is rooted in the labor of slaves and domestic servants and has long been relegated as “women’s work.” This blog explores the effects of inequity in the ECE field on families, teachers and children.

Research & Reports

The Impact of Expanded Income Eligibility for Child Care Subsidies: Analysis of Proposed State Legislation in 2024

Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center | By Maria Spinetti, Alyssa Rafa, Natalie Skatter | May 2024

So far in 2024, at least 10 states have introduced legislation to increase their initial income eligibility threshold to make families with higher income levels eligible for subsidies. This analysis illustrates the impact legislation like this could have on the number of children eligible across states.

Too Expensive, and Not Expensive Enough: Investing in Child Care to Strengthen South Dakota’s Economy

LIIF | By Joe Fretwell | September 2023

This paper reports on the economics and state of child care in South Dakota. This paper includes outputs of a financial model for assessing the capacity of child care providers to increase pay for staff and qualify for debt for facilities projects. Policy recommendations are included on strategies South Dakota could take to improve business operations and bolster financial sustainability of the early care and education sector.

A Community Win-Win: Co-Locating Child Care with Affordable Housing in San Diego County

LIIF & Children First Collective San Diego | By Joe Fretwell | April 2023

Joint co-location report with Children First Collective San Diego.

Flood Risks in New York City's Child Care System: Using Spatial Analysis to Identify Water Vulnerabilities in Family Child Care Homes

LIIF | By Joe Fretwell, Isabelle Donahoe, and Amy Shea | March 30, 2023

More than 100,000 properties in New York City are at risk of being severely affected by flooding over the next 30 years. Dwellings in basements and cellars – important and often more affordable housing opportunities for low-income residents who continue to struggle with rising housing costs – are likely most at risk. An estimated 2,172 (37.2% of all licensed FCCs citywide) operate from homes with directly accessible basement space. LIIF mapped state child care licensing data in the context of projected long-term sea-level rise and stormwater flood scenarios, which suggests that 1,638 licensed FCC programs caring for 22,702 children in NYC face immediate risk of flood and water damage. Learn more with LIIF’s report and interactive mapping tool.

Including Family Child Care in Affordable Housing: Policy, Design and Financing Considerations

LIIF | By Joe Fretwell | December 2022

This guide outlines key design, financing and policy considerations for developers, policymakers and ECE operators to support enhanced and coordinated efforts to co-locate family child care with affordable housing.

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Innovation for Home-Based Child Care: A National Organization Pilots Technology Transformation

Opportunities Exchange | By Louise Stoney | October 2022

In recent years, new technology with potential to help address child care business challenges has become widely available. LIIF leadership was interested in testing a new approach to business support that paired grants and technical assistance with access to state-of-the-art technology and decided that NYC would be a good place to try a pilot. To this end, LIIF engaged Opportunities Exchange (OppEx) to assist with the design and launch of a project aimed at exploring ways to help child care businesses access and leverage the power of Software as a Service (SaaS) business management tools. Read the issue brief to learn more.

Co-Locating Early Care and Education Facilities with Affordable Housing in Oregon

By Joe Fretwell, Angie Garling, Erik Bagwell, Andrew Dyke, Christine Cox | February 2022

This co-location report was prepared by the Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) and ECONorthwest on behalf of Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) and the Oregon Department of Education, Early Learning Division (ELD). It was presented to the Oregon Joint Committee on Ways and Means.

Quality Environments for Children: A Design and Development Guide for Child Care and Early Education Facilities

LIIF | By Tara J. Siegel

This guide offers ECE operators, architects, and developers tips on how to work together on each phase of a facilities project (planning, design and construction) to create high-quality ECE facilities.

BRIDGE Housing Child Care Handbook

LIIF & BRIDGE Housing | 2006

New version coming soon! This guide is filled with strategies on co-location of child care facilities within affordable housing.

Link to Executive Summary

Policy & Advocacy

Flourishing Children, Healthy Communities, and a Stronger Nation: The U.S. Early Years Climate Action Plan

Capita and This is Planet Ed (the Aspen Institute) | May 2024

Capita and This is Planet Ed (the Aspen Institute) co-convened the Early Years Climate Action Task Force to draft the U.S. Early Years Climate Action Plan. LIIF is the only community development financial institution on the task force. The plan recommends ways the country can help young children, zero to 8, flourish in the face of climate change.

Interactive Report

Link to Report

Spañol

Building for Equity: National Early Care and Education Practitioners Advisory Committee

LIIF | By Pamela Campos and Ericka Erickson | May 2023

In August 2022, LIIF launched a National Early Care and Education Practitioners Advisory Committee (NEPAC) as part of its efforts to center the voices of providers. The group comprises leaders in the early care and education (ECE) field who have successfully used LIIF grant funds in the past. Read more about this initiative in the project summary.

Link to article

Building Better for Families: Policy Strategies for the Co-Location of Early Care and Education Facilities and Affordable Housing

LIIF & National Children’s Facilities Network (NCFN) | By Rachel Hammond | May 2021

Co-locating ECE facilities with affordable housing developments is a promising strategy to support low income families by improving family access to two vital sources of household stability and economic mobility. There remain many logistical and financial challenges that impede the ability to complete more of these projects in communities where families would benefit from co-location. Although no single policy change will result in a sudden surge of co-location developments, LIIF and NCFN published a combination of local, state, and federal policies that can lead to more intentional co-location efforts.

Link to article

National Children’s Facilities Network (NCFN) Policy Platform

LIIF & NCFN | January 2021

NCFN is a coalition of more than 70 nonprofit Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), financial and technical assistance intermediaries, and ECE stakeholders dedicated to helping ECE providers develop high-quality physical learning environments and sustainable business models. Their 2021 Policy Platform outlines the top priorities that will guide our coalition advocacy activities for the next two years.

Link to podcast

Podcasts

‘Everything was messed up’: NYC’s day cares grapple with flooding

Yale Climate Connections | By YCC Team | Feb 2, 2024

LIIF’s Amy Shea was invited to speak on flood damage affecting New York City child care providers in a short podcast. This podcast also features Yolanda Miguel, the Owner and Director of Wonderful Kids Daycare in Brooklyn, NY, as she explains how emergency grant funds from LIIF in the wake of Hurricane Ida helped her repair and transform her basement to be used as program space, as well as renovating her backyard playing area to be more safe, functional, and resilient.

Future of Infrastructure: Using Data to Make Equitable Investments

Public Sector Center of Expertise Future Podcast | By Jeremy Goldberg | September 29, 2022

Denice Ross is the Chief Data Scientist in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In this discussion, she shared a behind-the-scenes look into how data can be used to measure equitable investments and their outcomes with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Labor of Love

NPR Throughline | By Rund Abdelfatah, Ramtin Arablouei, et al | June 22, 2023

There’s a powerful fantasy in American society: the fantasy of the ideal mother. Problem is? She’s imaginary. And yet the idea of her permeates our culture, our economy, and our social policy – and it distorts them. The U.S. doesn’t have universal health insurance or universal childcare. This episode looks at three myths that sustain the fantasy: the maternal instinct, the doting housewife, and the welfare queen and shares real-life stories fighting for a much more generous vision of family, labor, and care.

Nice White Parents

NYT Serial Podcast | by Chana Joffe-Walt | July/August 2020

To understand what’s wrong with our public schools, you must look at what is arguably the most powerful force in shaping them: white parents. This five-part series from the makers of Serial and The New York Times dives into this important issue.

Discussing the care economy with Ai-Jen Poo

MSNBC | By Doni Holloway | May 31, 2023

Chris Hayes speaks with Ai-jen Poo, president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, about rethinking social and economic policies for caregiving.

Early Years Climate Action Task Force: Elliot Haspel & Angie Garling

Early Years Climate Action | By Capita & the Aspen Institute | June 26, 2023

In this episode, Elliot Haspel and task force member Angie Garling discussed the need to incorporate climate resilience and sustainability in early care and education settings, the potential for co-locating housing and child care facilities, and how the task force can potentially influence community development policies and raise awareness among climate activists about the specific vulnerabilities of young children.