First Children’s Finance (FCF)

“Really connect with someone from FCF. There are many things that new providers don’t know, and FCF has that information and is always willing to share in a professional, efficient manner.”

“(Loan Fund Manager) Amanda Brewington was there with me during the process, helping me secure funding that helped with payroll and with some opening hiccups. I can’t thank them enough. Everything was smooth and benefited my business.”

“Jessica and Angeliek – they were amazing! They cleared everything up for me –from my business plan to budgeting to how much I needed to charge. They were just here last week. I love those ladies!”

““This isn’t a luxury. It’s part of our workforce strategy. ””

““We’re a major employer in a rural area. When we support child care, we’re not just helping our workers. We’re investing in the entire region,””

““At the same time, we’re building a financial foundation that doesn’t depend on accepting losses.””

““We’re offering competitive wages and benefits that make this a place where educators want to stay,””

““Hospitality workers often work weekends and holidays, and we’re here when most other programs are closed.””

““We are meeting a need that no one else is set up to meet,””

““This is the only program in the immediate area that offers care for infants and toddlers. If we don’t grow, families will keep going without care or leave the area entirely.””

““We want to support families as their children grow, starting with the right materials and classroom setup for our youngest learners.””

““This project has created a great impression on the families in our community. We have built our center into a beautiful and calming space that is filled with developmentally appropriate activities and materials. By providing high-quality education, we have created a safe learning space for the children in our area to flourish.””

““The topics covered the areas where I needed to know more; I was also pleased to receive state credit through ORO (Oregon Registry Online),””

““The first year of my current program I received a stipend from FCF that helped me buy materials for my child care program. It was so helpful when I really needed it.”

““(Business Development Specialists) Ingrid (Perez) and Jeniffer (White) are also so experienced and helpful. They speak my language: both Spanish and child care!””

““(Business Development Manager) Juan (Muros) has been very helpful to be. He was actually the person who first helped me register my business with the state. He has always been there for me.”

““My level of computer skills sometimes makes me nervous because technology isn’t always that easy; it can be very intimidating. But the instructors always made sure that everyone understood the material. And the fact that the courses could be in Spanish was very helpful to me.””

““I’ve even taken some classes twice because I thought they were so interesting, and I learned more each time!””

““My program is unique, and the training helps me effectively market that.””

““On a personal level, I really connected with her, and in our 1-1 meetings she provided excellent feedback and brainstormed with me. We related to each other; I could tell she really cared.”

““I was a little hesitant (about the Business Leadership Cohort) because I thought it might be too much at the time. But when I heard what was going to be taught, I knew I had to take it. I had a feeling that something was missing in my planning but didn’t know quite what it was.”

““All the data that FCF provides and the processes that they walked me through made me self-reflect as a business owner. I had never done that. It made me feel like a business owner and not a babysitter.””

““FCF came into my life during the licensing process or right at the very end. I knew I would be approved and came across another provider who knew about Michigan Women Forward.”

““But more importantly, she and FCF took the time to understand me. They not only worked with me, but they walked with me every step of the way.””

““Huda was fantastic. She helped me put everything together to make sure that my business would have a chance to be successful,””