New Strategies to Help Child Care Centers Succeed in the Challenging World of Small Business

High labor costs, parent fees that are lower than the cost of providing care, unpredictable funding streams, and high staff and child turnover are all defining characteristics of a child care center business. Taken together, this should predict disaster. And in fact, many centers are reporting deficits that may force them out of business. This paper reviews strategies that may be useful in reducing some of the administrative, accounting and reporting burdens of running child care centers, allowing them to re-direct needed resources for their true mission: to grow children that are safe, healthy and eager to learn.