Indy Chamber News Archives
Indy Chamber’s Business Ownership Initiative (BOI) program, in partnership with United Way of Central Indiana, joined efforts in 2014 to boost the quality of childcare throughout the Indianapolis region by providing business coaching to administrators participating in the United Way Quality Improvement Project.
Earlier this month, the first cohort celebrated their graduation from the United Way/Business Ownership Initiative Business Development program, which consisted of eight weeks of courses and six months of one-on-one business coaching sessions designed to help facility administrators assess their business operations, conduct a detailed cash analysis and forecast, and develop a strategic plan to ensure the future success of their centers.
Participating facilities were selected by United Way as providers advancing on the state’s Paths to QUALITY voluntary rating system. During the course, participants engaged with experts in various business disciplines (e.g, branding, marketing, human resources management), developed center-specific goals for the improvement of their programs, and gained professional feedback in a collaborative and supportive environment.
Through a needs assessment conducted with her business coach, Evelyn Evans of New Beginning Day Care Center in Indianapolis, chose to evaluate her center’s curriculum. On graduation day, she presented her strategic plan with a comprehensive set of goals accompanied by an implementation plan that will help New Beginnings staff better serve the children and their families. Through the cash analysis of her center, Evelyn was able to identify the curriculum changes she could support.
“Our main goal is to increase the educational success for the children. If we have quality curriculum and teachers are able to implement that curriculum in an impactful way, then our children will have a better chance at success and our entire community will be better for it,” Evans said.
Making an impact on the lives of children at an early age can ultimately lead to greater quality of life for years to come. This collaborative, engaging environment allows the Chamber, the United Way, and fellow community leaders to work together to grow, strengthen and invest in Indy’s future.
Contact BOI for more information about the program: [email protected]
For more information on Paths to QUALITY™ please visit http://www.childcareindiana.org.
Indy Chamber News Archives
Indy Chamber’s Business Ownership Initiative (BOI) program, in partnership with United Way of Central Indiana, will join the effort to boost the quality of child care throughout the Indianapolis region by providing business coaching to administrators of participating United Way child care centers.
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Funded by the Family and Social Services Administration allocation of the Federal Child Care and Development Block Grant, the coaching will assist child care centers in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Morgan and Marion counties. “We know that making an impact on the lives of children at an early age can ultimately lead to greater quality of life for years to come, and that is one reason why we are excited to be a part of this program that helps boost the quality of care for our region’s youngest children,” said Michael Huber, president and CEO of the Indy Chamber. “We welcome this new collaborative, engaging environment that allows us and fellow community leaders to work together to grow, strengthen and invest in our children, our community and our future.” BOI coaches will counsel 60 child care administrators over two years in areas such as cash management, accounting, finance, operations, products, services, marketing, management, business planning and more. Participating facilities were selected by United Way as providers advancing on the state’s Paths to QUALITY voluntary rating system. “We are pleased that our community’s small business experts have agreed to use their knowledge and skills to help high quality child cares sustain their quality gains,” said Ann D. Murtlow, United Way’s president and chief executive officer. “It’s a great example of collaboration at work to build on United Way’s own long-term commitment to high quality early learning.” Business coaching sessions will occur weekly for up to six months beginning in early September. The success of the coaching will be assessed at the end of the six-months and based on each director’s progress and improvement. The program kicks off on August 26 when Indy Chamber business coaches will overview the coaching process and expectations for participants. This new partnership pairs well with current Indy Chamber projects surrounding early childhood education. In early 2014, the Indy Chamber was tasked with leading an Economic Impact of Early Childhood Education study. Projected to be released later this year, this comprehensive report aims to present evidence of the widespread economic value of public investment in early childhood education. About Indy Chamber The Indy Chamber is the voiceof progress and improvement for the Indianapolis region’s business community. With membership of nearly 2,500 businesses representing 230,000 employees in the Indianapolis region, the Indy Chamber is leading the effort to strengthen the business climate, improve the state of education, revitalize neighborhoods and enhance the region’s workforce. In 2012, the Indy Chamber merged with Indy Partnership, Develop Indy, and Business Ownership Initiative. For more information about the Indy Chamber, visit IndyChamber.com. About United Way of Central Indiana United Way of Central Indiana helps people learn more, earn more and lead safe and healthy lives. United Way gets things done by mobilizing people and community partners in six Central Indiana counties to identify, advance and advocate the best solutions. LIVE UNITED is a call to action for everyone to be part of the change. Visit uwci.org to learn more. ### Media Contacts: Molly Deuberry, Indy Chamber, 317.442.1757, [email protected] Mary L. Kinney, United Way of Central Indiana, 317.921.1224 or 317.498.0647, [email protected] |