The Orange County In-Home Licensed Childcare Program is helping meet Orange County childcare needs one small business at a time.
At its core, the incubator program is a partnership between the Orange County Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and First 5 Orange County. Together, the two organizations have co-created a curriculum that prepares participants with the tools to run a childcare business, but also guides participants with how to navigate California’s strict licensing process. This collaborative effort shares resources between small business experts and early childhood educators, ensuring childcare providers offer quality learning environments while also managing their businesses for success.
The vision for this incubator program came to fruition during the financial fragility of the pandemic, according to Cristina Blevins, First 5 Orange County’s Early learning senior program officer.