Rural Homes Early Childhood Initiative
The goal of the Rural Homes Early Childhood Initiative (RHECI) is to simultaneously address the housing and childcare shortages of the region through integrating new affordable home construction with new family home childcare operations. The RHECI has done this by running an accelerator program that provides new Family Child Care Home Providers (FCCHPs) with all the right tools to start stable businesses within the Rural Homes Waterview Development in Ouray, CO. This initiative packages direct services into an integrated program for potential FCCHPs with all the training and resources to start new, licensed family childcare home businesses, particularly by low-to-moderate income individuals, with the Waterview Homes project in Ouray serving as a pilot project.
The RHECI aims to provide striving family childcare home operators with the necessary training program to cover the necessary components of early childhood care and education, business operations expertise, as well as targeted coaching and training on how to start or grow a FCCHP operation. This initiative also includes an innovative startup opportunity with Mission Driven Finance as an initial childcare friendly landlord that provides the selected provides with the eventual opportunity for home ownership. With a stable home and the right support, The RHECI hopess to make family childcare a sustainable and successful business model.
Interested in more information? Contact the RHECI lead- Sheamus Croke at sheamus@ruralhomesproject.co
Timeline
The following timeline is subject to change based on a variety of dynamic factors.
January-March 2024-Recruited interested participants and potential childcare providers for the RHECI business accelerator cohort
Spring/Summer 2024- Ran 12- week RHECI accelerator cohort which taught sustainable business practices and key principles.
Fall/Winter 2024 onward- Top candidates presented their business plan for the FCCH to an interview panel. Selected candidates then moved into one of the two FCCHP units renting and receiving support from Bright Futures and Mission Driven Finance, with the eventual option to purchase the home once they have grown their business. Furthermore, Bright Futures will provide ongoing coaching/support of RHECI providers with their businesses beginning with pre-licensing and 1:1 business coaching.
Partners and Funders
Our Partners and Funders specific to this initiative bring key support and expertise in the early childhood field, and range from local organizations working in Childcare within the community of Ouray, to Statewide and Nationwide organizations focused on Home-Based Childcare and Early Childhood. The logos (click for their website link) of these partners are below:
