EARLY CHILD EDUCATION
SUPPORTING THE REGION’S FUTURE AND THE NEXT GENERATION’S EDUCATION AND CAREER SUCCESS
The Economic Development Collaborative has been assisting family child care providers since 2010! In a collaborative effort with Child Development Resources, First 5 Ventura County and the Ventura County Office of Education, EDC is committed to increasing the availability of high-quality, early child education across the region.
WHY? The success of our children directly impacts our region’s economic vitality. An enormous amount of research and data shows that investing in early child education pays some of the highest returns on investment, educational achievement, lifelong earnings, productivity and for the avoidance of social costs relating to poverty and criminal justice.
Not only do early child education programs help children grow socially, emotionally and academically, they also support local businesses and our economy. Quality child care spaces support working parents, create local stable jobs and enhance business recruitment and retention.
In supporting the creation and expansion of preschools and child care facilities, this initiative focuses on:
- Increasing the availability of high-quality early child education
- Creating quality jobs in early child education
- Helping parents and guardians participate in the workforce knowing that their children are well cared for and supervised in an enriching environment
Chat with our team today! Assistance is available in English and Spanish in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Set up your intake appointment by calling 805.409.9159 or visiting www.calendly.com/edc-sbdc
EDC CHILD CARE INVESTMENT LOAN FUND
In partnership with and funding from First Five Ventura County, EDC operates a loan program that gives entrepreneurs access to the capital needed to create or expand preschools and child care centers.
As a community-based lender, EDC is proud to provide:
- Access to loans suitable for child care businesses
- Low-interest loans from $5,000 to $250,000 for equipment, working capital and more
“By establishing a partnership with EDC and First 5, I gained access to everything I needed to renovate and build out the space. From gaining funding to [hiring] contractors and employees, the loans I received made all of this possible and allowed me to create jobs.” – Alma Ferrel, Co-Owner, ABC Kids Preschool & Child Care
Lending from EDC LOAN is available in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. To learn more about our loan program, click here.
EDC SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER ADVISING
In partnership with Opportunities Exchange and the County of Ventura, EDC has trained* our Small Business Development Center (SBDC) advisors to assist family child care providers at NO-COST in:
- Starting a child care business
- Permitting and licensing
- Strategies for expanding enrollment
- Bookkeeping and tax assistance
- Marketing, branding and social media
- Local, state and federal resources for child care providers
The combination of training from Opportunities Exchange and our advisor’s diverse backgrounds creates a unique offering of assistance to child care business owners across the region. EDC will be training additional cohorts of advisors to support child care centers across Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
*Please note: EDC Business Advisors do not assist with evaluating curriculum or the quality of early learning care experiences. For advice in these categories, EDC will refer child care providers to Child Development Resources, First 5 Ventura County and the Ventura County Office of Education, who are experts in these topics.
