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There Are Better Tools Than Paper Maps
In Jeff Andrews’ recent op-ed article on LinkedIn, he shared the story of how old tools like remote controls, VHS tapes, and paper maps eventually gave way to better options. Child care is at that same moment. Too many communities are still trying to navigate today’s challenges with yesterday’s tools.
Business of Child Care provides a clearer way forward. Just as GPS replaced paper maps, our frameworks and services help communities gain clarity, build confidence, and move ahead with practical solutions. This issue introduces what makes our work different, how communities are moving from awareness to action, and the progress already visible through Child Care House.
Read more: I Used to be a Remote
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The Real Problem We Solve
Many rural towns and small communities face the same barrier: licensed child care capacity is too low and standard solutions do not fit.
That shortfall limits economic growth, workforce participation, and family stability.
Business of Child Care works to remove those obstacles so communities can thrive.
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Local leaders lack tools. Planning facilities, navigating licensing, and designing programs that fit local needs are complex. Early conversations stall before ideas become reality.
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Supports do not connect. Training, grants, and loans exist, but communities struggle to combine them into a plan they can carry out.
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Models miss the mark. Traditional designs assume steady enrollment and urban density. In smaller or variable markets they are fragile and unsustainable.
This is not unique to child care. A recent IEDC report shows economic development professionals are now expected to manage housing, broadband, child care, grant writing, and infrastructure without matching staff or expertise. That mismatch slows progress and weakens results.
Read more: The Evolving Role of Economic Developers
Business of Child Care helps bridge this gap. We provide structured guidance, tools, and frameworks so local leaders can move from concern to action and build capacity that lasts.
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Our Approach to Community Solutions
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We help communities move from recognizing the problem to building sustainable capacity. The emphasis is on practical steps that adapt to local realities, not one-time fixes.
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Strengthening existing providers. Many programs operate on thin margins. Rising costs and workforce shortages put them at risk. We provide tools, financial modeling, and business guidance that help them remain viable while new capacity is developed.
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Turning awareness into action. Communities often know the challenge but struggle with what to do next. We guide leaders with step-by-step strategies that connect local needs to funding, facilities, and timelines so they can move forward.
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Expanding with models that fit. Standard facilities are rarely designed for small towns or rural markets. We help adapt buildings or design right-sized options that add slots in ways local communities can sustain.
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Building shared understanding. Reliable child care is economic infrastructure. We provide frameworks and facilitation that bring employers, civic leaders, and residents together around a common path.
Business of Child Care brings these approaches together to help communities stabilize what they have, expand where it is needed, and align leadership around a shared path forward.
Read more: See how our solutions create change
| | People Make the Difference | | |
Strong outcomes depend on people who bring clarity, guidance, and support to communities. At Business of Child Care, our approach is built on roles that ensure consistent, high-quality support for every community we serve.
Community Solutions Directors work with local leaders and stakeholders, guiding them through planning and activation. Child Care Business Advisors focus directly on providers and operators, helping stabilize programs and build capacity. Fractional Contributors bring specialized expertise in areas such as staffing, finance, facilities, operations, and compliance.
Every member of our team completes training and certification in our frameworks and community approach. This ensures that support is always aligned, consistent, and responsive to the needs of each community.
This month we are also highlighting several of Child Care Business Advisors, who are already working side by side with providers to strengthen programs and expand local capacity.
To explore opportunities to join or further our work, visit: Join Our Work
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Barbara Wagner
Barb Wagner has extensive experience in family child care as a provider, trainer, and advocate at both local and state levels. She is already making an impact by advising the new Child Care House operator, ensuring the model reflects the needs of providers and the communities it serves.
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Kristi Swier
Kristi Swier is a leader and adult educator with a background in early childhood development, social services, and workforce initiatives. She is already applying her expertise to our Child Care Center Stability and Growth program, helping programs strengthen operations and better support families with young children.
Together, Barb and Kristi show how Business of Child Care combines expertise with a consistent approach to deliver practical, community-focused support.
| | How We Do It: Frameworks Applied to Communities | | |
Business of Child Care applies frameworks that bring clarity and focus to the challenge of expanding licensed child care. Some are adapted from established disciplines while others were created directly through our work with rural communities.
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Theory of Constraints lens: Identifies the barrier that most limits growth and focuses effort on removing it, showing how access to child care unlocks workforce and community potential.
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Whole Community approach: Engages employers, government, educators, child care providers, and civic leaders in shared responsibility so every stakeholder sees child care as part of their benefit and responsibility.
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Wage Realization: Demonstrates how access to child care allows parents to achieve their true earning potential, strengthening workforce participation, productivity, and local economic growth.
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Child Care as Infrastructure: Places child care alongside roads, broadband, and utilities as essential economic infrastructure, helping leaders align resources and prioritize action.
By applying these frameworks, Business of Child Care helps communities move from concern to action with tools that are practical, measurable, and designed to last.
Read more: About our approach and team
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Solutions in Motion:
Mapleton Child Care House
Child Care House is gaining traction. Mapleton is leading the way with dirt moving and community partners stepping in to support the project. This progress shows how right-sized solutions take hold when local leadership has the tools and guidance needed.
Other towns are preparing to move forward as well. Each new site reinforces that sustainable solutions are within reach for small and rural communities.
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Stay Connected and Take Action
Child Care House Virtual Open House • October 2nd, 11 AM Central.
Join us for a guided overview of the Child Care House model, funding, and support process. If you have not read the Community Briefing yet, you can find it here. Register now
Is a Child Care Center in Your Community at Risk?
Download our free guide to help recognize early signs of distress and take action with clarity, trust, and community support. Get the guide
Follow us on LinkedIn. See news, updates, and insights from our team, connect with peers, and join the conversation. Visit our LinkedIn page
| | | | www.businessofchildcare.com | info@businessofchildcare.com | 844-444-5602 |
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