Child care is more than a job to me – it’s something I love and something I’m passionate about. I would love to open a center in the very near future. I believe that kids deserve more than they receive from many child care centers (recent news stories can attest to that), and my goal is to make a safe, loving and educational environment for them. I want this center to be something the community can be involved in, also, through volunteering and local sourcing.
Crowdfunding page for a cooperative child care center
My goal is to make this a community-friendly center (Madison Cooperative Learning Center is the pending name for this venture), and something different than what our lovely little town has already. It will be an educational and safe environment for our children, with a well-trained staff, and one where the children are the top priority.
Running a child care center is not cheap, and this campaign is for additional start-up capital, to help with the first year’s lease/rent and expenses. Once this program is up and running, I want to bring the community in on it in a variety of ways.
The current plans are to, in addition to regular staff, implement volunteer programs: These programs will allow family members to come in and volunteer in our classrooms and our center. This will allow them more time with their children and to see how our center is progressing. This will give them the opportunity to see their children in our environment and to see our staff at work. In addition to the time with their children and the interaction with the staff, they’ll receive a discount from their week’s tuition for volunteering.
I want to implement local sourcing, also. I plan to serve meals in our center and would love to use locally-sourced foods, if possible. My plans are to find out if this is an option in a child care center (and will comply with state regulations) and financially viable, and then meet with local growers and businesses to make this happen. I would love to have local community members and businesses – musicians, yoga instructors, artists and so on – come in also and provide learning experiences for the children in our care.
Long-term plans include a community garden, recycling program, and sharing with our children the importance of community resources and contributions.
This center will provide a safe and loving environment for children and parents, and connect with the community through cooperative interaction and business (local-sourcing and volunteering).
Even if we don’t reach our goal, your contributions will help build the foundations of what we’re trying to accomplish.
Sometimes not everyone is in a position to contribute, even to something they feel strongly about. Spreading the word about our campaign is helping, too! 🙂
An Arkham Kind of Girl 