Transcript Document
Sound Child Care Solutions
A Consortium of Centers, Better
Together
Sound Child Care Solutions
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What is SCCS, “the Consortium”?
• Non-profit structure for high quality centers to join
together
• Share ‘back office’ functions to streamline & strengthen
business practice
• Retain feeling of small (name, community & family
identity)
• Center director / corporate officers retain authority over
their center
• Shared Leadership across centers
• Anti-racism focus
Sound Child Care Solutions
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Who are we?
• Diana Bender
– 10 yrs at City of Seattle (Early HS, Financing)
– Master’s from Harvard
– Significant Fundraising, Financial Analysis,
Management experience
• Laura McAlister
– 25 years with children, families & teachers as
teacher, Center Director and College Professor
– Master’s Pacific Oaks
– Significant Coaching and Teacher Training
experience
Sound Child Care Solutions
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Questions We Ponder
• Why are most kids in sub-standard care?
• Why is there a gap between what parents can pay
and what it costs?
• Why do directors, on average, burn-out and leave
after 2 years?
• Why do boards burn-out?
• Why do teachers have trouble gaining credentials?
• How can directors be expected to simultaneously
be great business people and visionary
educational leaders?
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Why Create a Consortium?
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Better together
Economic strength from being a larger organization
Stronger administration supports higher quality in
classroom
Financial discounts from economies of scale
Comprehensive approach to professional development
•Technology tools streamline business;
help teachers individualize teaching
•Industry Trend towards consolidation;
avoids “McDonalds” of child care
•Avoids director and board burn-out
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Consortium Central Responsibilities
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Financial (Payroll, Benefits, Billing)
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Bulk purchasing goods & services
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Professional Development system
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Fundraising & Development
(Re) Accreditation support
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Staff Recruitment
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Substitute Pool
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Technology
Helping infuse Culturally Relevant Anti-Bias Practice
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Directors Remain in Charge
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Hire, fire and all supervision
Sign off timesheets and parent bills
Create and manage Center Budget
Make all decisions re education,
curriculum & family participation
• Share in decisions affecting more than one
center (vendors, insurance, professional
development system, SCCS-wide budget)
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Benefits to Centers: Savings at Scale
Categories of savings:
•Purchasing goods & services (5-15%)
•Eliminating duplicative administrative effort
•Depends on decisions team makes together over time
Financial modeling shows with 6th center, savings of
•$10-30,000 (depends on size of center joining)
Savings continue to accrue as later centers join
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Benefits to Centers
Financial Management: Directors do budgets (with support),
Advisory Board approves, Financial Analysis
Professional Development: Directors as Executives, Career
Pathways, Mentor Teacher/sub pool
Fundraising: Larger Impact, Access to more Grant
Opportunities
Operations Support: Shared Best Practices & Problem-solving,
Avoid Director & Board burn-out, Shared
Commitment to Culturally Relevant Anti-Bias
Practice
Sound Child Care Solutions
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Most Cost-Efficient Way to Organize
• Center staff become SCCS employees
• Center Director becomes SCCS Corporate
Officer
• Center Board becomes Center Advisory
Board
• Center Director makes all Center management decisions
(hiring, daily supervision, budget)
• Decisions affecting more than one center made by
Consortium Leadership Team (Center Directors, VP
Finance, Laura & Diana)
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Frequently Asked Questions
• What about our assets? (They can be
protected.)
• Why should I ‘give’ my center to you? (We
don’t want it!)
• What’s the cost? (None; We’re raising
start-up costs then it’s sustainable.)
• Do I have to use all services? (No)
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What is Sound Child Care Solutions
looking for?
• Strong Staff and Director
• Source of Outside Funding
• Shared Values:
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Early childhood education quality
Access for low income children
Culturally Relevant, Anti-bias policy and practice
Willingness to engage with new technology
Commitment to professional development
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Process
SCCS raising funds to cover first year
operations
Overall process
Exploration Phase
Discussion Phase
Commitment Phase
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