Balancing the Ledger: Strategies for Operating Child Care Programs in the Black October 25, 2018

This one-day workshop is designed to answer the question, “How do we provide quality early care and education and stay afloat as a business?” Whether you are a director of a large center or operate a small family child care program, identifying and understanding the tools and practices that can help make your program more fiscally stable are critical to your success. This hands-on workshop will guide you through creating, understanding, and analyzing your financial statements; this understanding is a powerful tool in helping you make informed decisions about your program. Should you adjust your tuition rates? Can you give yourself and/or your employees a raise? Can you expand? Are you paying too much for supplies, equipment, food, insurance? We’ll discuss how to measure your comfort level with the management of your program, and how to determine if, what, and when to outsource. We’ll also cover the various funding streams available to you and how to access them, how to maximize your cash flow, and how to make sure you have a good financial balance for the health of your program. We’ll discuss economic viability for all stages of your business and all types of programs from start-up to succession, including: for-profit businesses; home-based and center-based programs; and non-profit programs. There will be lots of time and opportunities to dig into your specific numbers and your specific questions, so please bring existing budgets, bank statements, tax returns – whatever you have that tells the financial story of your program.