Child Care Business Support

Oakland Thrive’s Business Growth Services program offers child care business support.

Child Care Business Support

Oakland Thrive’s Business Forward program offers Child Care Business Services.

We offer services to help child care businesses thrive in Oakland County including:

  • Lender introductions

  • Funding preparation, loan review, loan packaging

  • Pre-seed, seed, growth capital

  • Revolving loan funds

  • Micro loans

  • SBA real estate loans

  • Work with local municipalities

  • Site location assistance

  • Guidance on state, county, and local municipality licensing requirements

  • Professional development resources available

  • Continuing education resources and information

Oakland Thrive wants to help you grow your child care center in Oakland County by offering:

  • Child care business assistance in every community

  • Educational workshops, seminars, and training sessions

  • Assistance with accreditation and quality applications

  • Direct referrals to people, organizations, and information to assist with child care center growth and development

  • Women-owned business enterprise certification

  • Minority-owned business enterprise certification

  • Veteran-owned business enterprise certification

Available Commercial Real Estate

Are you looking to lease or purchase commercial real estate for your child care business? LoopNet is the leading site for commercial real estate.

Tri-Share

With Federal American Rescue Plan funds for child care providers as part of COVID relief expiring, the cost of child care will go up and there will be a disruption to Michigan’s child care industry. Thankfully, there is the MI Tri-Share program that splits the cost of child care equally between an employer, the employee, and the State of Michigan to ease the burden of child care costs on families.

Oakland Thrive is encouraging all of their business clients to join the MI Tri-Share program and is creating an initiative to help businesses become Tri-Share employers who help their employees with the cost of child care.

Learn more about MI Tri-Share here.

You can apply for a child care license from the State of Michigan Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).

To renew or apply for a new a child care license visit: https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/cclb/providers/application

Download the LARA Resource Guide to Child Care licensure in Michigan here: Need to link the PDF (PDF named Resource Guide to Licensure found here )

To learn more visit https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/cclb

The Child Development Associate Credential (CDA®) is a national credential for early educators working in a variety of settings with children ages birth to 5 years old and their families to demonstrate the early educator’s knowledge, skills, and abilities in the early childhood education field. The program is designed to assess and credential early childhood education professionals using multiple sources of evidence, including an exam, observation, and a professional portfolio. By earning a CDA credential in any of the settings below, an educator demonstrates a commitment to career advancement and professionalism:

 

Center-Based Infant-Toddler

Work with children ages birth to 36 months: The Infant-Toddler center-based setting is a state-approved child development center where a candidate can be observed working with a group of at least 3 children ages birth through 36 months, with at least one of the sub-groups. The program must have at least 10 children enrolled, not necessarily in the candidate’s group, and at least two early educators working with the children on a regular basis.

Center-Based Preschool

Work with children ages 3 to 5 years old: The Preschool center-based setting is a state- approved child development center where a candidate can be observed working with at least 8 children, all of whom are ages 3 to 5 years. The program must have at least 10 children enrolled, not necessarily in the candidate’s group, and at least two early educators working with the children on a regular basis.

Family Child Care

Work with children ages birth to 5 years: A Family Child Care setting is a family child care home where a candidate can be observed working with at least two children 5 years old or younger who are not related to the candidate by blood or marriage. The setting must meet at least the minimum level of applicable state and/or local regulations. Family Child Care settings are also eligible in localities where there is no regulation of family child care.

 

If you are interested in obtaining your CDA, please contact Allyson D. Andrews, Business Forward’s Child Care Industry Specialist at childcare@oaklandthrive.org or 248-931-7697 in order to be connected with a CDA training organization.

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides nutritious meals and snacks to infants and children as a regular part of their day care. A variety of public or private nonprofit child care centers, Head Start programs, outside-school-hours care centers, and other institutions which are licensed or approved to provide day care services participate in CACFP. For-profit centers that serve lower income children may also be eligible. CACFP reimburses centers at free, reduced-price, or paid rates for eligible meals and snacks served to enrolled children, targeting benefits to those children most in need. For more information visit https://www.michigan.gov/mde/services/food/cacfp

CEED Lending

An initiative of the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council (WBC). Providing business expansion and start-up financing to small business loans in the following nine southeast Michigan counties: Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Jackson, Hillsdale, Lenawee, Livingston, and Washtenaw. For more information visit https://www.greatlakeswbc.org/ceed-lending 

 

Ascendus

Ascendus provides business expansion financing and small business loans. For more information visit https://www.ascendus.org/products 

Stay in the loop: sign up for Oakland Thrive’s Child Care Business Support email list.
Child Care Business Partner Corner

We’re proud of our Child Care Business Partners! Our Partners of the Month:

Little Bear’s Learning Center was established in 2012. The center places an emphasis on “collaboration between staff, families, and their surrounding communities.” Little Bear’s Learning Center serves children from six weeks to 6 years of age. Their classes are all bear-themed: Panda Bear Class (infants and young toddlers), Sun Bear Class (older toddlers), Polar Bear Class (preschool), and Grizzly Bear (Pre-K). For more information visit https://mylittlebearslc.wixsite.com/little-bears.

Little Bear’s Learning Center, LLC
Oak Park

Marvelous Child Development Center is a Reggio Emilia-centric preschool with a focus on creativity, imagination, and critical thinking. They offer wholesome food and a non-toxic environment, and a vast outdoor play space. At Marvelous Child, children are active in their own learning and are encouraged to explore the world around them and to express themselves. For more information visit https://www.marvelouschild.com

Marvelous Child Development Center
Troy

Heartfelt Impressions Learning Centers want clients to know that “your family is a part of our family” and that they seek to inspire lifelong learners. They offer a variety of programs for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years, a before and after school program for children in grades K-6, and summer camps. They also partner with the Michigan Department of Education to provide prekindergarten education through the Great Start Readiness Program. For more information visit https://heartfeltimpressions.net.

Heartfelt Impressions Learning Centers
Lake Orion, Clarkston, Rochester
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