Over the years, we've frequently worked with groups of funders to craft Special Initiatives for child care providers. Our Initiatives have pooled funds from foundations, government, and CDFIs while combining a variety of consulting support to help child care providers improve the quality of facilities and programs.
Philadelphia Child Care Initiative (2003-2011) The Child Care Initiative is dedicated to providing capital, capacity-building
services, and technical assistance to nonprofit child care centers and out-of-school time service providers
seeking to improve the quality of their programs and facilities.
This initiative is a vital resource
in building a sustainable child care system that will provide all of
southeastern Pennsylvania’s children with access to high-quality early learning
environments.
With support from the
William Penn Foundation, City of Philadelphia, United Way of Southeastern
Pennsylvania, Wachovia Regional Community Development Corporation, Pennsylvania
Department of Community & Economic Development, John S. and James L. Knight
Foundation and Samuel S. Fels Fund, nearly $11.7 million in grants and loans
have been invested to improve child care in the region.
Child Care Expansion Consortium (CHEX) In comparison to other nonprofit groups, child care
providers often have very small or nonexistent surpluses or profits
and highly fragmented and sometimes unpredictable sources of funding. This financial
condition creates a barrier to receiving financing from banks
and CDFIs and prevents child care providers from expanding their programs or facilities, despite increasing service demand.
To help child care providers and lending institutions overcome this barrier,
NFF worked with a group of banks and CDFIs in a program called the Child
Care Expansion Consortium (CHEX). CHEX provided credit enhancement to individual
child care providers in New York State seeking to borrow. The CHEX loan guarantees spurred
investment by banks and other lenders, which ultimately helped childcare providers expand programs and serve more children.
