What We Do
Our work encourages the formation of Shared Services Alliances, with an initial focus on the early care and education (ECE) industry. We help networks of small center-and home-based ECE providers join forces administratively to lower costs and increase revenues. Through more streamlined purchasing and other administrative efficiencies, as well as the ability to tap and manage multiple public and private funding streams, ECE organizations are able to increase wages and benefits and improve financial stability. Ultimately these Alliances contribute to the critical goal of improved quality and stability of care for young children.
Our work is focused in three areas:
Consultation with early care and education practitioners, providing them with a growing set of Alliance implementation tools, to enable them to plan, start, and fund Alliances in a wide variety of settings.
Facilitation of a learning community of existing Alliances, developing Alliances, funders and experts, to share progress, note challenges, and identify promising solutions and practices. This learning community includes an annual networking/technical assistance conference where existing and new Alliance sites gather with ECE funders and experts; a series of webinars sharing information and best practices; and a LinkedIn group.
Funder engagement, to increase understanding of Shared Services, and to examine whether and how Shared Services Alliances can help achieve their program goals.